A New Chance
by Ami Ikari
Summary: A new team of soldiers is created by the new Guardian of Time, Sailor Pluto's son, Chronos. Along with the Destiny Kishi, the Defenders of Time, the Planet Guardians have to protect Earth aside with the Sailor Senshi...
1. Prologue

Destiny Kishi - Alternative Stories  
  
Prologue  
  
It was all done. No turning back at that point and he was aware of it. He knew that he'd found the point of no return, the dead end of his life. That that day would happen in his life. He only didn't realize that it would happen so soon. Not when he was finding happiness for the first time.  
  
His light green eyes were in shock when they saw the dead body of the girl he loved lying on the floor of the school hall. A person who hadn't seen what really happened would just say that he had failed in protecting his beloved one. That was what he wished that everbody thought; that was in what he wanted to believe.  
  
But that wasn't the truth, though. Reality can be the most cruel entity in all the universe... and nothing could ever change it. Not even Fate. And he knew that. As a disciple of the Senshi of Pluto, he knew that the death of his beloved couldn't be changed. It was her destiny, to die by his own hands.  
  
The boy once known as Arthur Crossroads held his sword upon his own chest and gave a deep breath, crying for that History was repeating itself again, as in a time that Humanity had forgotten.  
  
But a hand stopped him from taking his own life.  
  
"Let go of me, Chronos! You don't have anything to do here! You know, better than anyone in the cosmos, that you CAN'T change what has already happened! Unhold me!"  
  
"I do know that, Art, son of the Royal House of Earth. But I came here to offer you another chance."  
  
"In another life? No, thank you, Chronos, son of Fate. I don't want to live another life like this, living in fear of losing anybody, because I will always know that she shall die by my hands."  
  
"Here", and the young Chinese man gave him a golden key. "Do you know what is this?"  
  
"A time-space key. What... wait, you can't be serious about that. It's against the rules. A Destiny Kishi cannot travel in time to change its History!"  
  
"Unless the time-space key is given to him by the Guardian of Time", replied Chronos, holding the Time Staff on his right hand. "My mother is dead. I'm the new Guardian of Time. And I give you the permission you need to do so, Earth Destiny Kishi."  
  
"You mean that..."  
  
"Your memory shall be partially erased. Flashbacks shall come in your dreams and you shall also lose your eternity, but not your soul. But then you will be able to meet her again and to change this future."  
  
"Chronos, I...", he gasped, almost crying.  
  
"Don't say anything."  
  
Art smiled. He knew it was in her behalf that the Guardian of Time was breaking the rules. For the first time, a Guardian was letting his heart guide his decisions. It was something that the first Guardian of Time would never allow or agree with and that was something that Art and Chronos knew.  
  
"We shall meet again..."  
  
"I know that... Martin. Thanks."  
  
"May luck be with us all. Good luck."  
  
Art smiled once again. He had another chance to repair his mistakes and, for that, he was grateful to Chronos. And it was time to go.  
  
"Chronos, son of Fate, heir of Pluto, Guardian of Time", and a whirlwind began to surround his body, while his clothes changed from his Kishi uniform to his common clothes. "I beg you a part of your power. Give me the permission I need to travel back in time", the Time Gate appeared in front of Arthur and started to open itself. "By the name of Serenity, Queen of the Moon, I pledge your blessing. Earth Destiny Power!"  
  
The door was finally open. And everything went blank, as time had been erased.  
  
***  
Chronos entered the Palace of Pluto, a sheepish grin on his face. He was still with that expression on his face when another young man, on his twenties, tall, of dark brown hair and green eyes, wearing black pants and boots that almost looked as they were a single cloth, a silver jacket with a white bracket with the symbol of the Moon on his right arm and white gloves, came close to him.  
  
"So you've decided to give him another chance, huh?"  
  
"Hn", he nodded. "I think it's unfair what Destiny reserved to him in all Timelines we visit."  
  
"We're Guardians of all Timelines, Chronos."  
  
"I know that, Moon Fox. Unfortunately for us, there aren't different Destiny Kishi for each Timeline, as there exist other Senshi, other Kishi. We're only to look for all these Timelines", he said, staring at several mirrors on the main hall. Each mirror shown a different image, each one being of a single Timeline.  
  
"It was what she wanted to. After all what happened, discover that we weren't only mere common humans was too much to her", the man called Moon Fox said, picking up a photo frame that stood on a table.  
  
"But you can't forget that there still exists a counterpart of us in each Timeline, Henrique", said another man, with the same clothes that Chronos and Moon Fox were wearing, but with red jacket and the symbol of Mars on his bracket. "We shall always exist. Not as Destiny Kishi, for our essence is already united in a single body, but we will be there with her."  
  
"And how is she?"  
  
"I went to check her on her room. I don't know how she likes to stay on that cold weather..."  
  
"Hey, she's from Mercury, Daniel!"  
  
"There's been a long time since anybody called me like that, but... well, she seemed to be alright. Sleeping as an angel. I just can't understand how can she sleep like that. She must be asleep for sixteen Earth years by now!"  
  
"And she will sleep for more time, Aleph", said Chronos, calling Daniel with a different name. "She won't ever forgive me for what I've done... that's one of the reasons why I'm doing all this."  
  
"Waitasec! You're messing up THAT Timeline only to make Kyn forgive you?!", yelled Moon Fox, getting closer to Chronos. "In OUR Timeline, where WE came from, many years have already passed by. Our great-grandsons are having their KIDS now, we would be nothing but DUST and MEMORIES on their mind! And now you're telling me that you're keeping Kyn of Saphir asleep so that her essence can be united in another being?!"  
  
"Not another being. She shall always be that Japanese girl we met. Remember, that's a different Timeline and I've found her counterpart in that one."  
  
"I just can't BELIEVE that! You're the Guardian of Time, not its GOD! Chronos, be careful on what you're doing!"  
  
"Can I consider that a threaten?"  
  
"Do what you want! I'm outta here!", shouted Moon Fox, leaving the hall.  
  
"Just be careful. You know that no one of us would bear losing her. We don't love her as you and Art do, but we care for her a lot. She's my friend and I won't forgive you if she's hurt in anyway", said Aleph, walking out of the hall. "For her, I can even stay on that chilling room for some minutes more..."  
  
Chronos sat on the main chair of the hall, the chair that once his mother sat during many centuries, taking care of the Time Gate. He knew that what he was doing wasn't exactly the right thing to do. The power of the Garnet Orb was keeping Kyn in a deep sleep, from which she would only awake when the counterpart that carried her essence realized what was happening or when Art finally forgived himself and could give peace to her. When his essence would finally go to his eternal sleep.  
  
But he wouldn't never let her go without colleagues. Neither him or any of the actual Destiny Kishi could leave the Palace of Pluto, but he could send some company to her.  
  
"I can't be with you, but my counterpart can... I shall send a small part of my essence to him, so that he will be there to protect you and to grant that Art's mission will be succeeded. And, with him, I shall send five guardians. Please, find your happiness..."  
  
A small part of energy faded out of Chronos body, like the smoke of a torch on its end. With her, five colored energies went through a mirror, that was showing what was happening in the Timeline Art had chosen to live once more.  
  
***  
And here begins another story for the Destiny Kishi... 


	2. A Newcomer

Chapter 01 - A Newcomer  
  
Disclaimer: anything that resembles the manga and anime serie "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" is trademark and copyright of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei Animation, Japan.  
"Destiny Kishi" characters are of Tieko Aikawa and X/MADS! authory.  
  
Sentences that are marked with ** are thoughts. Whispers and other things will be in "".  
***  
  
Arthur's alarm clock rang almost thirty minutes before the time he had set on the previous day. Still sleepy and cursing the ones who had made that stupid 'chicken alarm clock' that always woke him up with a 'Good Morning' greeting, the teenager just picked up the 'stupid and dumb white clock' and tossed it on the poor wall.  
  
"AWRK!", quacked the clock for the last time. "Good... morniiiiing... AWRK!"  
  
"Have YOU a Good Morning, stupid thing...", he mumbled, wondering who had had the fabulous idea of giving him that white chicken... and, when he finally remembered WHO had given it to him, he jumped out of the bed, almost in panic.  
  
His shouts could be heard downstairs, where almost all his colleagues of the student's dormitory were having breakfast.  
  
"Let me see... someone - and I won't tell WHO was - had Arthur's clock set up AGAIN thirty minutes earlier than he wanted to, am I right?", asked an older girl, pouring hot chocolate in a cup. "Why don't you just leave him alone?"  
  
"It's just funny to see him angry like that", answered one boy, stabbing a pancake with his fork. "Hey, pass the maple syrup!"  
  
"Very funny... I wondered if that happened to any of you, what would you do", said the girl, almost pouring the maple syrup on the boy's head. "Can't you just see that he likes to remember his last girlfriend and that he has just been transfered to Fallen High?"  
  
"It's not our fault if he had to come here", said another one, sitting at the table.  
  
"You're all disgusting. I hope you're all happy, because I'll no longer be here to make breakfast for you all. From tomorrow on, there will be another girl to cook for you. You'd better start your prayers... I don't know if she cooks like Melinda."  
  
Everybody who was at the table gasped when they heard Melinda's name. Nobody could ever forget what she had done to the kitchen... it took almost six months to clean the ceiling to make it WHITE again, after she almost turned kitchen into hell itself. And nobody could forget her curry rice or apple pie or chocolate chip cookies or pancakes neither.  
  
"PLEASE, Samantha, we're trying to EAT!"  
  
"But... why aren't you staying with us?!"  
  
"Don't you remember the rules? The newcomer girls have to do chores around the school and my turn on cooking is over. I'm going to take care of the Computer Centre now. She must be arriving in a few minutes..."  
  
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs silenced everyone and the ones who were busy talking started to eat their pancakes before they got cold. Samantha went to prepare more pancakes since there still were people sleeping on the rooms.  
  
Arthur Crossroads entered the kitchen without saying a single word to his colleagues and specially to his roomate. The only one to whom he said something was to Samantha, when she served him some pancakes and cereal with milk.  
  
"Thank you, Samantha."  
  
"Y're welcome, Arthur. I think you heard what I said some minutes ago."  
  
"That you're being transfered to the Computer Centre now? Yes. Congratulations, Samantha. At least you won't be forced to prepare breakfast to this bunch of guys", he answered, picking up his spoon. "Who will be the poor girl to come in your place?" *God, just PLEASE let me wish that she cooks better than Melinda, PLEASE!*  
  
"Well, that we'll have to see...", Samantha started to say, when someone rang the bell.  
  
All the boys at the table, with ages between fourteen and nineteen, because the dormitory was also to the boys who attended Fallen Junior High, gasped and had to pick up a glass of water or any other liquid that was nearby to drink and make the food go down to their stomach. Some of them were shaking a little bit, maybe nervous of meeting another girl... or maybe afraid of what she would be able to cook there. Hm... make the second option the right one.  
  
After some minutes, Samantha came back to the kitchen, bringing a Japanese-looking girl, of black eyes and very black hair, that almost looked like blue. She had it short cut and wore glasses. Wasn't too tall, but she wasn't too short, though.  
  
"Guys, I'd like to introduce Tieko Aikawa to you all", said Samantha, trying to smile, not to laugh when seeing the boys' faces.  
  
"Err... ple- pleased to meet ya...", said one of them, standing up from his chair. "I'm Bradley Cooper."  
  
"William Hashimoto here", said another one. "By your name, I guess you're Japanese, right?"  
  
"Almost", she answered. "I'm Brazilian. My grandparents were Japanese."  
  
"I'm Daniel Luders", greeted the third boy, with a light accent on his English. "I'm Brazilian too, hope you like here. Are you going to study at Fallen High or at Fallen College?"  
  
"I'm going to Fallen College."  
  
"Any problems, you can always talk with me, Rick or Martin. We're all Brazilian", continued Daniel. "Actually, Rick's real name is Henrique, but nobody seemed to be able to say that clearly, so..."  
  
"... so that I think I should thank you for introducing myself, Daniel?", said a teenager, walking down the stairs. "I'm Henrique Luders. People call me Rick."  
  
Tieko looked at Daniel and Rick, blinking twice before trying to say anything.  
  
"Are you brothers?"  
  
"NO!" they shouted at once. "I'D NEVER BE HIS BROTHER! WE'RE JUST COUSINS!"  
  
"I can see that they like each other very much", she giggled, placing her school bag on the table.  
  
"They do", said Samantha, almost laughing. "Hey, where's Martin? Still sleeping?"  
  
"Nope. He's already at the Computer Centre", answered Rick, pulling a chair. "Did you really think that he would be sleeping at nine o'clock in the morning?" *Even in a Saturday?*  
  
"Well, I think that everyone is here, except for Martin", said Samantha. "They're all yours, Tieko. Your everyday chores are written on the board schedule."  
  
"OK, Samantha. Thank you for everything."  
  
"On Monday, a girl from Fallen College will take you for a 'welcome tour' through the building, so you don't get lost. Nevertheless, you recieved a town map and the girls' dormitory is the next dull-orange building. Good luck."  
  
Tieko kept looking at the door with a huge sweatdrop on her head, while Samantha walked out of the boys' dormitory and slammed the door. Some people said afterwards that she sighed in relief after leaving the building.  
  
"What did she mean with 'good luck'?", Tieko asked, looking puzzled.  
  
"Never mind", answered the only one that hadn't introduced himself to the newcomer. "She must be with PMT, that's all. Anyway, my name's Arthur Crossroads", he continued, without looking at her face, just eating his pancakes.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Arthur", she said, walking through the dining room to get to the board schedule. "Now... looks like I'm supposed to cook breakfast and dinner for you all during weekends and only breakfast during the week. I just have to say one thing before starting my duties."  
  
"And that wouldn't be 'sorry guys, I can't cook', would it?"  
  
"Take it easy, Daniel. I can't cook very well, but I can manage to make you not die of hunger", and she picked up a book from her bag. "There's always something that I can do with a Cooking Book."  
  
"Can we get scared?", asked William, swallowing his last piece of pancake.  
  
"No, you can't", answered Tieko, giggling. "Any other questions?"  
  
"..."  
  
"As I thought...", she continued giggling while taking the dishes of the boys that had finished their breakfast to the kitchen. "Hey, I forgot to say that...! HEY!"  
  
But nobody was there to hear what she had to say. Everyone had already vanished into the game room, struggling to get the remote control, as their shouts could show. Something as 'today is MY turn to choose the channel!' or 'no, gimme that control, you damm...' and things like that.  
  
Sighing, but still smiling, Tieko picked up an apron from inside her bag and weared it, looking at the HUGE pile of dishes and spoons and forks and glasses she had to wash.  
  
"Well, at least I don't have lessons today", she said, opening the water faucet and letting the water fall on the dishes.  
  
"But do you have anything else to do today?" Arthur asked, coming from behind her, placing his dish and his cup in the sink.  
  
"I... I... no... I was... just planning to...", Tieko gasped, feeling her face hot and blushing. "... to... bake a cake later on..."  
  
"Would you mind if I helped you?"  
  
** A few hours later **  
  
A strange group of teenage boys walked like they were an only being, crawling from bush to bush, from mailbox to mailbox and... whatever. They were just trying to hide themselves from the couple that was walking to the nearest market in town.  
  
"Didn't I tell you guys? I saw they talking on the kitchen in the morning", whispered Bradley.  
  
"Arthur could at least wait one day before asking her to a date, don't you think?", whispered William.  
  
"C'mon, guys... you sound like two old grannies chit-chatting about the neighborhood...", said Rick, bored. "Call me at the bookstore when you're over with that."  
  
"Party-pooper", they said, when Rick and Daniel went to the bookstore. "Let's follow them and..."  
  
"I quite agree with Rick", said a person standing right behind them. "Let them alone, will ya?"  
  
Bradley and William could only look at the tomboy that stood behind them. She wore a baseball cap that made her almost alike a boy, jeans, a green shirt and a leather jacket with the symbol of Fallen College on it. Someone who looked at her for the first time would think that she was a boy, because of her short blond hair that could be hidden by her cap.  
  
"McKinnion!", exclaimed Bradley, startled. "Go... go mind your own business."  
  
"Oh, but I AM. Why are you so interested in what is happening between Crossroads and Aikawa? Leave them alone!"  
  
"Wait. Are you her..."  
  
"Yup. I'm the one who is responsible for Aikawa during her first days on Mornington. So get lost! Scram!"  
  
Tieko and Arthur heard McKinnion's voice and walked back to where she was.  
  
"Thank you, Catherin", said Tieko, looking a bit upset. "I'm sorry to give you all these problems."  
  
"Hey, it's my duty. Fallen College recieves a lot of foreign students and we learn to respect the newcomers. I've been one once, so I do know how life can be with these guys", said Catherin, her hands on her jacket's pockets. "Y'can call me Cat. Going for some shopping or just taking a walk around the town?"  
  
"Actually, we were looking for a store where I could find the ingredients I need to bake a cake", Tieko answered, picking a sheet of paper from her purse. "But no store here sells these kind of things."  
  
"Let me take a look at this. OK, I think I know where you can find these things", and she looked at Arthur with the corner of her eyes. "I see that you're already making friends here."  
  
"Oh, yes. You were my first friend here, Cat."  
  
*Hm... it wasn't about THAT that I was talking about, but...* "Let's make a deal; I help you buy the things you need and I get a piece of cake."  
  
"It's a deal. Hope you like chocolate cake."  
  
"Now you're talking my language", Cat smiled, walking with the couple.  
  
** Back at the Dormitory **  
  
Rick got back from town some hours later, carrying a package from the bookstore he had gone. Daniel was with him, carrying a volley ball he had bought at a sports store. Everything at the dormitory was silent, except for some strange noise that came from the kitchen.  
  
Curious, the two cousins walked carefully into the dining hall and had a look in the kitchen, without going inside. Cat was sitting at the dining hall, reading some magazines, while a cloud of flour was coming out of the kitchen.  
  
"Hi, Cat", greeted Daniel, placing his ball at the floor and holding it with his foot. "Looking for Samantha?"  
  
"Nope. Now I'm responsible for Tieko", she answered, turning a page. "Did you go shopping, guys?"  
  
"Yup. Rick bought some books he wanted to read. C.J.McKinnion, if I'm not wrong... hey, Rick! Stop reading at least for some minutes!"  
  
"They didn't blow up the kitchen, so everything's OK here... huh?", said Rick, closing his book. "Were you talking with me?"  
  
"I was. What were you reading?"  
  
"The latest book of C.J.McKinnion, I've told you already."  
  
Cat smiled and placed the magazine over the table, standing up.  
  
"Hey, you two! I thought you were going to bake a cake, not start World War III!"  
  
"Bake what?", asked Daniel, kicking the ball to the TV room.  
  
"I'm baking a chocolate cake! Don't worry, we're alright!", yelled Tieko, without coming out of the kitchen. "We just had to use more flour than we'd planned to, but I think it'll be fine!"  
  
The main door opened and everyone looked in its direction, hoping that it wasn't the janitor. Cat knew that Mr. Smith didn't like that girls stayed for too long at the boys' dormitory and that they would be in trouble if he saw they there... but he seldom went to check the buildings.  
  
"Yo, Martin!", greeted Rick, as a Chinese-looking boy came inside the building.  
  
"Hello... what's happening here?", he asked, seeing something white coming from the kitchen. "Is that a ghost or Melinda decided to come back?"  
  
"Samantha was transferred to the Computer Centre, so there's another girl to stay at her place", answered Daniel. "She's Brazilian too."  
  
"Oh... hi", Tieko said, coughing a bit, and trying to take some flour out of her face. "I'm Tieko Aikawa, pleased to meet you..."  
  
***  
Chronos seemed to be sleeping at the chair of the main hall of the palace. He had his eyes closed and the Time Staff placed on his lap, while all sort of things happened in the Timelines. But his attention was focused on only one special mirror.  
  
Moon Fox, Aleph and Firebird walked into the main hall and looked at that special mirror. Aleph sighed, with his arms crossed in front of his chest.  
  
"Y'know... sometimes I miss those years. When we only had to worry with our College grades...", he said, sighing once more. "We have more responsibilities now."  
  
"Looks like that she has already found our counterparts, Aleph", said Moon Fox, smiling. "And also Chronos' counterpart."  
  
"I just hope that this doesn't means that all her story will repeat itself", said Firebird.  
  
"It won't. Daniel and Henrique Luders are there just because I made them go to Mornington", continued Moon Fox, picking up his Silver Pen. "Just in case something happen... but I've already checked that Timeline, there's no chance of any youma or similar go there to mess things up."  
  
"Not even the leader of the Destiny Kishi can beat you, Moon Fox", smiled Aleph. "But... what would happen if a youma got there?"  
  
"She still has her essence on her body, so she can make up into Mercury Destiny Kishi, as Arthur also can. Our counterparts aren't able to do so, but Chronos had everything set up. He sent six Guardians along with Kyn."  
  
"I think this is the first time that we're not protecting Time or Neo-Queen Serenity", said Firebird.  
  
"I agree with you, Firebird. But we always have to be prepared, because there are Senshi in that Timeline and, where are Senshi, there will always be a Princess Serenity."  
  
"But there will always be Guardians for her. Our duty is only to make everything be on its place", said Aleph, looking once more at the mirror.  



	3. A Writer's Choice

Chapter 02 - A Writer's Choice   
  
Usual disclaimers here: I don't own any rights over Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon anime and manga series, they're trademark and copyright of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei Animation, Japan. The only rights I claim here are over the characters named as 'Destiny Kishi' and 'Guardians'.   
  
Cat sat by her desk at the girls' dormitory and held a pencil on her right hand. Even though she didn't like to remember some things that happened in her life, she liked when people came reading the books she had written some years ago. It was strange how people didn't usually realize that C.J. McKinnion could be a pen name for Catherin McKinnion. But that was over; there was already two years since Cat had written the book that she said it would be the last one, ending her writer's life.   
  
And there she was, staring at a sheet of paper and playing with a pencil. It didn't work, every time that Cat said that she would stop writing, those images would ever come back to her mind, and a voice would come to say that she had to write a little bit more. But that 'little bit' always would end in a new book that the editor would be willing to put his greedy hands on. At least they weren't a total failure, because there were a lot of people who liked her stories and the first printing usually was sold out in three weeks and a lot of letters arrived at her mailbox.   
  
But she didn't want to write anything that night. It was autumn and the nights were starting to get colder and prettier, with the bright full moon and all those stars glittering around her. So Cat was just playing with the pencil, without writing or drawing anything, letting the paper remain plain white.   
  
Suddenly, a strange tapping noise called Cat's attention. It was past ten o'clock in the night, everyone was supposed to be sleeping or watching TV at the room downstairs. Nobody usually stayed in their rooms at that hour, except her. She stepped out of her room and listened carefully to the strange sound.   
  
*Looks like someone's... typing?*, she thought, walking out of her room and going through the sound's direction.   
  
Cat stopped by the newcomer's room and knocked sometimes at the door, which opened itself, with nobody opening it. When she looked inside the room, she saw why nobody had answered the door.   
Tieko Aikawa was alone in the room, as her roommate had gone downstairs to watch TV. She was sitting by her desk, typing and listening to music, with earphones, so that she wouldn't bother anyone with the music she was listening to. And so that she wouldn't also hear anybody.   
  
"Tieko? Excuse me, the door was a open and... Tieko? Can you hear me?"   
  
"Oh my, that can't be happening again... thought Ami, sitting on her bed", Tieko was saying, in a low voice. "Yes, this sounds good..."   
  
"Tieko?" Cat called once more, touching her shoulder.   
  
"Huh?!" gasped Tieko, looking back. "Oh, Cat... you almost took five years out of my lifespan."   
  
"Sorry, you didn't answer the door, so..."   
  
"Oh, I didn't hear you, gomen... I mean, sorry. Did my typing annoy you?"   
  
"Not at all, I was just a curious to see who was upstairs at this hour. Hey, would I be too noisy if I asked what were yeh writin'?"   
  
"No, I had a great idea to write the end of a story I began to write at home and I decided to type it right away, before I forgot what was my idea. Have you ever heard something about fan fiction?"   
  
"I think me had once... can I?"   
  
"Oh, sure. Here... the first chapters are on another file", she answered, handing her laptop to Cat. "Say... I don't know what I should do to breakfast tomorrow. Any suggestions?"   
  
"Don't worry, how many cakes did yeh leave there?"   
  
"I think half of it."   
  
"Hm... You'd better start thinkin' of learnin' how to do pancakes, or you'll be servin' only bacon n' eggs with tea or coffee or chocolate tomorra."   
  
"I think they'll have to bear bacon n' eggs plus toasts tomorrow, because I can't make pancakes... yet. Do you think they'll be bored with that?"   
  
"What did yeh make for dinner?"   
  
Tieko laughed. "We ordered pizza."   
  
"I think yeh could make anythin' and Arthur wouldna mind", Cat continued, without taking her eyes from the computer.   
  
"Hey... you don't think that... that he..."   
  
"Don't need to be a getting' red, Tieko. I saw that yeh liked him and so did he. So why be a worryin'?"   
  
"You must be right, Cat. Thank you."   
  
*** On the Boys' Dormitory ***   
  
"Ok, leave me alone, will'ya?"   
  
"C'mon, Arthur. Did you ask her for a date?" asked Bradley, suspicious.   
  
"Where will you be going?" asked William. "By the way, she bakes a delicious cake."   
Arthur, Daniel and Rick sighed, annoyed with all those questions. Martin, one of the oldest boys at the dormitory, was still typing at his laptop, trying not to pay attention at what he would call 'granny chit-chatting'.   
  
"You should think in something else", said Martin, without taking his eyes from the computer.   
  
"Tomorrow she's coming again and we just know that she knows how to bake a chocolate cake. I don't deny it was delicious, but who knows how will breakfast be? And other thing to worry about: we're having a new janitor that's arriving tomorrow morning. Be prepared."   
  
"Have you just received a message telling you that?", asked Rick. "Who's coming this time?"   
  
"Hm... Someone called Kenneth Raiden."   
  
"'Thunder Kenneth'..." whispered Daniel. "Just hope that he's better than Mr. Smith. I just can't bear that old man coming to check on us like we were a bunch of girls that can't take care of themselves."   
  
"Well, we're six guys living in a dormitory. He wants to see if we're not bringing any girls here", said Martin, still typing.   
  
"Heh... guys here can just think on what will they eat on tomorrow's breakfast and on what people do during the day", said Arthur. "Just like you said, Rick. Two ol' grannies chit-chatting about someone's life."   
  
"We should go to sleep instead of listening to this two", said Daniel, yawning.   
  
"Indeed", said Rick, going upstairs. "I'm off."   
  
"So am I", said Arthur. "I'd rather go to sleep earlier than stay listening to these two."   
  
"I'd better continue my stories at my room. Excuse me", said Martin, closing his laptop. "Good night."   
  
Bradley and William stood alone in the TV room, in disbelief. Their eyes were wide opened and a huge sweat drop came down their faces.   
  
*** In The Next Day ***   
  
It was early in the morning when the sound of the door opening woke William up. Yawning, he picked up his alarm clock and dropped his head down on the pillow when he realized that it was FIVE o'clock. It couldn't be Tieko... she wouldn't get up BEFORE five in the morning just to finish her chores in a SUNDAY. All girls usually slept MORE on weekends and they had to wait until they arrived at TEN-THIRTY. So he just turned around on his bed and continued to sleep.   
  
Downstairs, a young boy looked around the main hall. His dark green eyes seemed to investigate all the area and, with his arms crossed, he nodded and sat on the couch of the TV room, picking up a folder of Fallen Institute and began to read it again.   
  
He had just moved to Mornington with his sister and was quite lucky for getting that job. Although the woman had said 'Thanks, God' when he signed the contract, he didn't think it would be too much taking care of two buildings in which lived only teenagers. And it wouldn't be though dealing with it; after all, one of them was a girls' dormitory. Of course, he could be wrong.   
  
After reading the folder, he stood up and left his bag on the couch, trying to remember what he had to do there. As a janitor, his job was to keep the buildings STANDING UP, ON ITS RIGHT PLACE, without letting the students demolish them. Also he should keep the garden clean, water the plants and fix any broken thing he found inside or outside the buildings. Cleaning them wasn't his duty, except during school holidays, when almost all students went home.   
  
"Heh... this job is going to be a piece of cake", he said, stopping by the window, some hours later.   
  
Only to see a Japanese-looking girl walking through the building's direction, carrying something like a grocery's bag.   
  
***  
"OK, Moon Fox.. Are you REALLY sure that there aren't any kind of Yuma or extra-dimensional beings that would try to conquer that Timeline?" asked a young man of oriental look. He wore a orange jacket with a bracket with the symbol of Venus on his right arm.   
  
"Don't you trust me, Firebird?", replied Moon Fox, with his arm on the table. "But I said there aren't no Yumas THERE. There's nothing I can do if a being from other TIMELINE decides to conquer that one where Kyn is. She will have to take care of herself."   
  
"Hm... We'll have to trust Kyn and Art, then. I just hope that this story ends up WELL and that we have good n' old Kyn of Saphir back", said Aleph, whispering the last words of his sentence.   
  
"You're lucky that she's sleeping. Otherwise, you would end up killed if she heard you saying 'good n' old Kyn'", laughed Moon Fox. "She is the second oldest of us here."   
  
"I know that. Why do you think I was whispering? Who knows if she can hear this in her deep sleep?" he grinned.   
  
The three men laughed, like in the old times when they still were College students or High School students trying to get into a good College... before their lives went upside-down and mixed and blended in a trip to Japan. They stopped laughing when they rememebered that trip and sighed with sadness.   
  
"I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't ever gone to Japan", said Firebird.   
  
"We had no choice", said Moon Fox. "We were kidnapped, remember?"   
  
"HENRIQUE, DON'T EVER LET ME REMEMBER THOSE DAMMED PENGUINS!!!" yelled Aleph, shivering.   
  
"OK, OK, I won't mention it again", said Moon Fox, waving his hand in front of Aleph's face. "Now calm down, will 'ya? We still have work to do."   
  
"An eternal work..."   
  
***  
Tieko didn't know what she would do first. Place the bag on the floor, move her purse to the front of her body to get the keys or just kick the door; or maybe the three things at the same time.   
  
"No, that's NOT a good idea..." she sighed, putting the bag down and picking the keys from her purse. "... I would just drop all the things I bought. Thanks God Cat told me that there was a 24-hour shop nearby where I could find pancake mix..." she grinned, while opening the front door.   
  
She knew that it was far too early for any of the boys to be awake, so she took off her tennis shoes and tiptoed carefully to the kitchen, where she hoped she would find some eggs and milk.   
It wasn't a hard job. She always liked being with boys rather than with girls. They were easier to deal with than girls... she just wasn't called a 'tomboy' because she wore feminine clothes, or she would be easily considered a boy instead of a girl.   
  
Tieko placed the bag on the kitchen table and opened the refrigerator door to check on the groceries inside it, almost fainting when she saw a couple of junkie food inside it. Of course there were some vegetables and some juice and fruit, but there were a LOT of ready-and-easy-to-do-meals. Hm... Weren't they of the same brand as the pancake mix she had bought?   
  
"Oh, well... whatever. I bet that the smell of breakfast will make at least half of them run downstairs", Tieko giggled, closing the door with her foot and carrying milk and three eggs on her arms.   
  
"I thought this was a boys' dormitory, young lady", said a male voice coming from the kitchen's door.   
  
"Wha-", and she opened her arms, letting all the things she carried down to the floor. "Oh, NO!"   
  
The boy seemed to disappear from the place he was and a little gust of wind managed to mess Tieko's hair and to make her close her eyes. She was looking for an open window when the boy appeared by her side.   
  
"You shouldn't be so careless", he placed the milk and eggs on the kitchen table. "Now, who are you and what are you doing here?"   
  
Tieko had her eyes open wide with surprise. "Hey, that is what I should be asking you."   
  
"Too late. You'd better answer before I report this to the main director", he just replied, sitting by the table and placing his arms on the chair, which was turned around. "So?"   
  
The young girl stared at his dark green eyes, having a kind of 'déjà vu' feeling. She felt as they had met once... she just didn't know where or when.   
  
"I'm a newcomer at Fallen College. As you must know, newcomer girls have chores to do and mine is to take care of what these boys eat... at least at breakfast and dinner."   
  
"OK, Ms. Newcomer. How about telling me your name, then?"   
  
"How about telling ME who are YOU, then?" she asked in the same tone of voice he had used before.   
  
"Hey, easy there. Don't need to get angry like that, heh?" he said, waving his hand slowly in front of his face. "I'm the new janitor. Name's Kenneth Raiden. Yours?"   
  
"Tieko Aikawa", she answered and turned back to get the things she needed to start making breakfast.   
  
"So all newcomer girls have to cook for these guys? They're kind of lucky", said Kenneth, placing his cheek on his arms. "Have anything to do tonight? Looks like there's a new movie at the local theatre."   
  
"I have to study tonight, thank you."   
  
"Sheesh... tough girl, aren't you?"   
  
***  
Aleph couldn't help laughing at the scene he was watching to in the mirror. That was the exactly reaction he expected that would come from Kyn, even if he was looking at her counterpart in that Timeline.   
  
Using heavy clothes to bear the cold of her room, he kept watching for her in Pluto's Palace and in the Timeline Chronos had sent her essence to. Picking up a small notebook, he checked up some names that were written on it. She had found already two Guardians. There were still some left.   
  
***  
Cat was already up, staring at a sheet of paper, holding her pencil as if she wanted to write something. Her MIND almost ordered her hand to start writing and she couldn't resist anymore. Sighing, she began what would be her fifth romance and, as the previous ones were, the 'last C.J. McKinnion would write'. That was what she always promised to herself.   
  
A promise that would always be broken.   
  
***  
Suddenly, a strange noise coming from the kitchen woke all the boys up. A girl scream could be heard in all the building, as World War III had arrived at once.   
  
Arthur was the first one to change his clothes and to rush downstairs and Daniel, Martin and Rick came right after him. The other two were still trying to understand what was happening there and rubbing their faces.   
  
"Duck! NOW!" shouted Kenneth, throwing his own body over Tieko's, when he saw a cutler's knife going in her direction. "You there! I need help!" he continued shouting, when saw the four boys running downstairs.   
  
"Tieko! Over here!" called Arthur, trying to reach her hand and not seeing when a fork started to go in his direction, aiming for his head.   
  
"YOU should look after yourself before trying to save someone, Arthur!" shouted Martin, throwing his mechanical pencil to stop the fork. "Hey... don't look at me like that. Can't I try to save a life?" he asked, looking at the huge eyes Daniel and Rick had on their faces.   
  
"THAT'S something I thought I would never see in my entire life", said Daniel, leaping down the last stairs to get on the kitchen. "Martin shouting like that."   
  
"People do have different reactions in certain situations, Daniel", said Rick, landing beside him. "Anyway... we have other things to worry about."   
  
"You're right", said Kenneth. "First of all, we need to know what the heck is THAT."   
And a whirlwind appeared in the middle of the kitchen, gaining a human form as time passed by.   
  
Soon, the wind took the shape of a female body and almost had a... face? That was smiling evilly to them? Hm... They must be dreaming. And I must have drunk something with a LOT of alcohol... yes, it must be that strawberry juice I drank at lunch...   
  
"Greetings. I'm Kazeko."   
  
** Author's note: Kaze = wind; ko = child (Kazeko = Child of Wind) **  



	4. Get In Touch

Chapter 03 - Get In Touch   
  
"You said that there weren't ANY kind of youma that would try to conquer the world in that Timeline!" yelled Firebird, looking at the mirror.   
  
"I did NOT say that, Firebird of Shine!" answered Moon Fox, yelling back and scrubbing his hands, nervous. "I just said that I couldn't find any youma or extra-dimensional being THERE. By the way..." And he gave an angry glare at the Guardian of Time, which stood behind them, holding the Time Staff. "What did you have in mind when you sent Kyn's essence to another Timeline? Are you aware that you've changed Tieko Aikawa's LIFE?! The essence of Mercury Destiny Kishi was meant to reborn in a girl in THAT Timeline, the one we came from! Where Tieko Aikawa was just a nickname and a pen name for her!"   
  
"Would you calm down, Moon Fox?" said the deep and calm voice of Chronos. "No Timeline is safe and you all know that."   
  
"That's true", said Firebird. "As it's also true that the Guardian of Time would sacrifice anything for Destiny's sake. I hope that her life is not included in that."   
  
"It is not."   
  
"That we'll see..." mumbled Moon Fox, turning back.   
  
***  
  
What used to be a kitchen was now a battle arena, with knifes and forks and everything else that had in it on the floor. On its middle, stood something that looked like a woman of white skin, silver hair and deep red eyes, with an evil smile on her face.   
  
"Who... or WHAT are you?!" asked Arthur, trying to protect Tieko with his own body.   
  
"I have already introduced myself, young man", the creature said, closing its eyes. "My, my, please don't tell me that we will have to begin all the 'evil-creature-against-good-guys' plot..."   
  
"Err... I don't think that's really necessary", said Daniel, waving his hands. "But could you just tell us what are you doing here and why did you attack her?"   
  
Kazeko blinked twice and stared at Daniel with huge eyes, with a sweat drop coming down from her head and laughed in amusement. "You are different of the ones I have met in other places, young man! You do have my respect and, for that, I shall answer your question before continuing my attack."   
  
Everyone couldn't do anything but blink their eyes, not believing in what had happened.   
  
"I am what other people would call 'youma'. In your language, though, I would be called a... 'monster', I think..." she began her speech; sitting in a gulf of wind she created and scratched her chin. "Where I came from, people call me 'Child of Wind'. I was sent to search for a strange energy that appeared in this dimension, but nobody told me why I had to do it."   
  
"You just accept orders?" asked Kenneth, bending his head to the side.   
  
"Why, yes. I am a member of Elite Army of my people and I must do what my superior orders me to. Everything in behalf of my dimension", answered Kazeko, looking at Kenneth without understanding why was he so surprised. "Any other questions?"   
  
"Just another one. The last, I promise", said Martin, raising his hand. "Why were you attacking HER?"   
  
"Oh, because SHE is the source of the energy I had to look for", she said, raising her shoulders. "Is that all?"   
  
Everyone, including Tieko, nodded. The wind Kazeko was using as a chair vanished and she stood up again, looking at the small group. "So shall we settle this? You can choose, young girl, if you want to come with me by your own will or not."   
  
"Can I? Really?" asked Tieko, surprised AND surprising the boys.   
  
"I swear you can."   
  
"In that case... you will have to catch me FIRST!" and she ran away from the kitchen, getting out of the building.   
  
Kazeko's eyes grew big again and, in her surprise, she let the boys run away right after Tieko. After some seconds, she shook her head and sighed, cursing the fact of letting a common girl make fun of her like that.   
  
***  
  
"CHRONOS!!!" yelled Moon Fox, looking at the mirror. "Can you see what have you DONE?!"   
  
"I have already told you not to worry. Don't you trust me?" and Chronos was still watching the scene, holding his Time Staff.   
  
"I just hate when you say that... she's not ready to Make-Up, you..." mumbled the guardian of the Moon, closing his fist. "Aleph! Prepare yourself to send part of your essence to your counterpart!"   
  
"NO! Can't you see that if we do that, all we will be able to do is call more youma to that dimension! Kazeko went there because her fellows felt an abnormality on their default pattern!" answered Aleph, holding Moon Fox's arm. "She will have to deal with it by herself."   
  
"You're right... unfortunately, you're right, Aleph", and he sat by the table, picking his Silver Pen from his jacket. "But I still can do something."   
  
The ink sparkled on the paper he was using to write some words. As a Destiny Kishi, Moon Fox had the power to change small parts of a Timeline's story, but only before it happened. He wasn't allowed to change what had already happened, but he could help his friend. That was granted by his power.   
  
***  
  
Soon Tieko got exhausted and stopped running as fast as before. She wasn't the athletic type of girl and neither were the boys who came after her, except Kenneth, who still had his tongue inside his mouth.   
  
"I can't run anymore..." she said, sitting on the ground.   
  
"Do you want to be taken as a carnival prize by her?!" asked Kenneth, grabbing her arm.   
  
"I'm not prepared to run like that!"   
  
"You'd better start getting used to it."   
  
"What did you say?"   
  
"I didn't say anything. Did any of you guys..." asked Kenneth, looking at the very tired quartet that was behind him. "... Forget it."   
  
"So, are you ready to go with me? Our scientists are willing to study what kind of energy do you carry within your soul..." the creepy voice of Kazeko said, making everyone shiver.   
  
Tieko had her face buried on Kenneth's chest, afraid of what would happen to her and to the boys. Kenneth still looked at Kazeko with anger and fear when something fell from the sky. It was a silver pendant with a strange symbol on it. A symbol that wasn't strange to him.   
  
"Get it, Gin!" a voice ordered. "You know it's yours!"   
  
And a girl landed by his side. A girl of short, blond hair and wearing strange clothes. She wore a long-sleeves violet shirt, long enough to reach her hips, with a thin silver belt, and black tight pants with light violet boots that weren't too long. She had silver gloves on her hands, a pendant on her neck and a silver straight tiara on her forehead. A small amethyst glowed in the middle of the tiara.   
  
"Wha-?" gasped Kenneth, picking up the pendant.   
  
"My, my... not another hero freak... I've seen so much in my life..." sighed Kazeko, looking rather bored.   
  
"Well, I will be the last one you'll see in your life", answered the girl. "'Cause you will die today."   
  
"If you could just imagine how many times had I heard that line too..." and the wind-girl yawned.   
  
"So, if you are so bored with the 'hero-freak-against-the-evil-creature' plot, we can finish this quickly... VIOLET RAZOR STORM!!!" and a gulf of wind with small arrows made of violet energy went in Kazeko's direction, catching her defenseless.   
  
Kazeko was lifted from the ground and landed some meters away from them. "You... you... you ruined my reputation! We shall meet again!!!"   
  
"Hmpf... Seems like we've got a veeeery vain enemy here... hey... you guys are all right?" said the 'hero freak' girl, looking at the pale group who stared at her with big eyes. "Did I say anything that you didn't like?"   
  
"Not at all..." said Tieko, when she stopped trembling. "Thank you for saving me and my friends."   
  
"Don't need to thank me. That's what I'm supposed to do."   
  
"Hey!" called Kenneth. "I think you have some things to explain here, young lady..."   
  
"I expected that..." she sighed, going into the boys' dormitory... "Can we talk indoors?"   
  
"Here we go again..." mumbled Rick.   
  
***  
  
People were all on the TV room, waiting for the strange girl start speaking. In the meanwhile, as nobody there had had breakfast, Tieko had managed to do some sandwiches to the gang there. She was starting to feel like a maid...   
  
"OK, I think it's time for you to start explaining what the heck is going on here", said Rick. "I think we've had surprises and secrets enough for a morning..."   
  
"Take it easy, Rick", she said. "Me name's Siren, but yeh know me better by the name of Catherin McKinnion."   
  
"Cat?!" exclaimed Tieko, sitting next to her. "But why are you..."   
  
"Everything on its time... first of all, I didn't hide this as a secret from any of yeh. I didn't know I was Siren either, I discovered it this morning, when this pendant fell on me desk along with the pendant I gave him", Cat continued, showing her silver pendant, that had another symbol. "This is the symbol of Saturn. Some voice in me head said that I had to get it and say 'Saturn Violet Power' to help someone who would be in trouble in the next hours after I got the pendant."   
  
"And why did you give this to me?" asked Kenneth, still holding the pendant.   
  
"Because the same voice in me head said I should. Yehr line is 'Jupiter Green Power'. I know it may sound stupid, but it worked on me..."   
  
"Neat. So all I have to do is yell 'Jupiter Green Power!' and..." laughed Kenneth.   
  
"Yep, that's it. And a green energy will glow from the pendant exactly as it is happening NOW and yeh will have yehr clothes changed to an uniform like that ye are wearing now, long-sleeves green shirt with silver belt on yehr black pants, that, thank God, are not as tight as mine, light green boots on yehr feet, silver gloves on yehr hands and a silver tiara... Hm... Looks more like a thin bandanna... with an emerald in its middle on yehr forehead", said Cat, smiling in amusement when she saw that he had transformed into a Guardian. "And presto! Ye are transformed into Jupiter Guardian, also known as  
Gin of Jupiter."   
  
"I didn't think that you were saying the truth..." said Daniel, hiding from behind the couch, having Rick and Arthur by his side.   
  
"Oh, but I was", she grinned. "OK, time to go", and her transformation reverted to her usual clothes. "I've got to see how me dog is going..."   
  
"You have a dog?" asked Tieko, standing up.   
  
"Yes, a greyhound."   
  
"Can I go with you? I don't think they're going to need anything by now..."   
  
"And it won't be too dangerous, because you will be with a Guardian", said Martin, opening the door for the girls.   
  
"Hey, how did you manage to accept all this craziness so quickly?!" asked Arthur.   
  
"I've seen one Guardian transforming right in front of my eyes. I think I can accept that as a truth now. Can't you, Arthur?"   
  
"Go figure... I'm going with them."   
  
"Do as you wish", he answered. "I'm going to my room, excuse me."   
  
***  
  
Moon Fox, Firebird and Aleph stared at the mirror in amusement. They hadn't thought that the youma would be so easily defeated the first time. But that wasn't the biggest of their worries.   
  
"Don't you think that Chronos' counterpart is too... serious and 'grumpy'?" asked Firebird. "The Martin we met wasn't like that."   
  
"You said it very well, Firebird. 'The Martin we MET'. We can never forget that he changed a lot in this decades."   
  
"I thought that his counterpart would be as the Martin from our Timeline, as Rick and Daniel are", he continued. "Could it be an effect from having part of Chronos' essence on his body?"   
  
"It is", answered Moon Fox. "Tieko and Martin are the real source of the energy Kazeko is looking for. He shouldn't be like that, not before discovering his true identity. He wasn't like that."   
  
"I think Chronos has done more than he can manage to fix after all this get to an end."   
  
"Agreed, Aleph." 


	5. The Big Bad Wolf

Chapter 04 - The Big Bad Wolf  
  
Usual disclaimers here: I don't own any rights over Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon anime and manga series, they're trademark and copyright of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, Toei Animation, Japan. The only rights I claim here are over the characters named as 'Destiny Kishi' and 'Guardians'.   
  
My special thanks for Amanda Collingwood, SailorSaber from Grep SailorMoon (and also Cat's creator) for all her help!  
***  
  
That sure wasn't the ideal date he was imagining for him and her. "Oh well", he thought, sitting on one of the tallest branches of a nearby tree, "if you want to make someone like you, you have to sacrifice some things in your life... but THIS IS RIDICULOUS!", he almost yelled, while a dark grey cloud seemed to appear over his head, with thunder and lightning. A pretty sign of bad mood.  
  
Under the tree, Tieko, Catherin and her grayhound could only watch as Arthur continued up on the branch, without any signs of that he would get down some day. The dog was lying on the grass, with Tieko scratching his belly. Catherin almost sat on the grass because she was laughing so much that almost couldn't breathe.  
  
"Arthur, I can't believe you're afraid of such a cute dog!", said Tieko, playing with him. "Oooh, do you want me to scratch a little bit more to the left?"  
  
"Well, it's not a PUPPY anymore! It has big AND sharp TEETH that can sink on my flesh and make it bleed!", yelled Arthur, without seeing that he was almost falling from the tree. "YIPES!", and he managed somehow to stay on the branch.  
  
Cat continued laughing, stopping only to get the air she needed to live. "You... you should give him a chance... -hee hee- Arthur! He doesn't bite unless I -haa haa- order him to do so! -hee hee hee-"  
  
Arthur almost fell again of the tree and grabbed the branch with all his strenght, scratching the brown leather jacket he was wearing. "A dog is a dog! And I don't like them! Tieko, why can't you like smaller things, like cats?! They can help much more, like those strange magical cats that always appear along with those Sailor Scouts in Japan!!!"  
  
"Wha-?!", gasped Catherin, picking up a stone from the ground and throwing it at Arthur, that looked more like a carnival target. His eyes grew big when they saw the stone going UP.  
  
A familiar sound of something BIG falling down and crashing through the ground could be heard in the McKinnion's neighborhood.  
  
***  
"Moon Fox...", growled Firebird, as he heard what Arthur Crossroads had said.  
  
"OK, OK, I know that I said that there weren't any kind of extra-dimensional creatures there... now you must be thinking 'what the heck are the SAILOR SCOUTS doing there'. Am I right?", asked Moon Fox, trying to make Firebird calm down.  
  
The young oriental man just tapped his black boots on the floor, with his arms crossed by his chest as if he demanded an explanation from his colleague. The stripes of orange cloth that he wore as a belt seemed to move as if a gulf of wind had gone inside the Palace. "Since WHEN do we have open windows in here...", thought Moon Fox, looking at the creepy scene.  
  
"So...?", and Firebird slammed the table on which Moon Fox had been writing some hours ago.  
  
"Would you believe in me if I said that, originally, there WEREN'T any Sailor Senshi or Scouts in that Timeline?", gasped Moon Fox, noticing that his face was TOO NEAR Firebird's, whose eyes seemed to be flashing with anger.  
  
Firebird was about to answer that question with a punch on his friend's nose when he heard the sound of something hard slammering on the floor. When he turned back, all he could see was the figure of Chronos, whose bordeaux stripes of cloth also moved as if wind had gone into the Palace.  
  
"You should believe in that, Venus Destiny Kishi", said Chronos, putting the Time Staff over the table. "Because that is the truth."  
  
"Wha-"  
  
"When I sent Kyn's essence to that Timeline, I was aware of what could I do with their destiny. Originally, only Art's essence was destined to that Timeline. Remember that he killed Tieko Aikawa as Earth Destiny Kishi, but she had no energy to be Mercury", said Chronos, sitting by the table and picking up some sheets of white paper and his Silver Pen. He began to write simple words, without making sentences with them, only sketches. "His essence was banished from our Timeline when we corrected the mistakes he had done on it. His veredict was to go through all Timelines until he discovered what he had done wrong. We saw almost all his lives during all these decades we've been in Pluto's Palace."  
  
"But why did you send Kyn's essence with him?!", asked Moon Fox.  
  
"I thought you had seen how she had changed after all the time we've been here. We all changed, but she never forgave me for being the one who killed one of her friends... and you know that I'm not talking about Art. That was leading her to a depression... so I made her sleep and decided to help them."  
  
"Chronos, that is NOT a good reason for messing up that Timeline", said Firebird, sitting by his side and facing him. "Kyn was NEVER in love with Art. Sending her to Tieko Aikawa's body will only make things more difficult to him. And that doesn't explain why did you also send part of YOUR essence there."  
  
"Oh, that's more simple than adding two and two!"  
  
"So...?"  
  
"I had so much fun when all that happened in our Timeline... I couldn't let her have all the fun alone", answered Chronos, grinning.  
  
"And here we have good n' old Martin back...", laughed Moon Fox, resting his body on the chair.  
  
***  
When Arthur opened his eyes, he could only see the blue sky, feel the cool wind on his face and the angels passing by. One of them was looking at him, with worry on her black eyes. "She is so cute...", he thought, without strength to stand up or even reach her face with his hands.  
  
But he DID find some strength to stand up and jump on her lap when he felt a wet thing giving him a tongue kiss.  
  
"My, are you really THAT afraid of dogs, Arthur?!", asked Cat, wishing she had a camera to take a photo of that scene.  
  
"Don't you dare tell this to the boys, OK, Cat?", said Tieko, ready to drop Arthur on the floor, when she heard a car coming nearby. "To the ground, Arthur."  
  
"I think Grandma's got new neighbors...", sighed Cat, looking at the silver Scénic that was parking on a house nearby. "And that means that soon she will say 'Catherin, my dear, why don't you go to the new neighbor's house to invite him or her to a walk by the neighborhood?"...", she singed, bending her head side to side with a funny face.  
  
"Hey, Cat", said Arthur, having a very deep breath to gain a little more courage and stop acting like a chicken in front of the girl he wanted to date. "If you have your grandma living here, not too far from Fallen College, why are you at the girls' dormitory?"  
  
Cat frowned and put her hands on her jacket's pockets. "Because I don't own a car and I would have to wake up too early to get to College on time."  
  
She sat down on the grass and started patting her dog, looking at Tieko's face. Her cheeks were red, as if she was shy for being there with Arthur. He also seemed uncomfortable, while trying to be as far as possible from the dog AND trying to get close to Tieko at the same time. An impossible task, in Cat's opinion. That was going to be a very very boring Sunday... if a tall, handsome young man of blue hair and blue eyes, wearing a dark blue sweater over a white formal shirt, didn't appear on the garden with a incredible charming smile on his face.  
  
"Excuse me, I'm the new neighbor", he said, offering his hand to Catherin. "I would like to introduce myself. My name is Aindrea Terence."  
  
"Ni... nice to meet you. My name is Catherin McKinnion, but... it's my grandmother who lives here. I'm going to call her", and she ran inside before anyone else could say anything.  
  
"Wow... I didn't knew that Cat was so shy", said Tieko, feeling the wind that passed by her when Cat ran inside the house.  
  
"Neither did I", said Arthur, standing up and looking at Aindrea. "Sorry if I'm being noisy, but are you attending Fallen College?"  
  
"Yes, I am", he answered, noticing that Arthur had bent his body a little to the side, maybe because Tieko had poked him in a very strong way. "I've been transferred to the first class of this season."  
  
"Pleased -ouch- to meet you... -you could poke a little less harder, Tieko- Aindrea. I'm Arthur Crossroads, second grader of Fallen College... -this hurts-."  
  
"I'm Tieko Aikawa", she said, giving a very angry look to Arthur. "Exchange student from Brazil."  
  
Suddently, Cat's grayhound started to bark very angrily at something on the air. Wind started to blow in the garden and a very loud girlish laugh could be heard anywhere in the neighborhood. Arthur went close to Tieko and passed his arms around her shoulders, trying to get her away from the place where the dog was looking at. Aindrea stepped back, but something made him stay and wait for what would happen.  
  
Catherin heard the laughter from inside the house and ran quickly to the garden, worried with Tieko. That Kaze-something had promised she would come back, specially after Cat had cut her face and ruined her reputation, defeating her on battle. She would want revenge and she had to finish her mission. That would mean taking Tieko to her dimension and that Cat wouldn't allow.  
  
She was Saturn Guardian. And she wouldn't allow that some weird creature from another dimension just went there to mess up all her life and her friends' lives.  
  
"Saturn Violet Power!!!"  
  
***  
When Saturn Guardian finally got outside the house, all she could see was Kazeko laughing like a hyena, without seeing that Tieko, Aindrea and Arthur were running on the tip of their feet, trying to get out of there without calling her attention. Aindrea waved to them, whispering something that could be translated as 'let's go to my house before she notices that we're not there anymore'.  
  
"You were defeated once and you didn't learn to pay more attention, Kazeko?!", laughed Siren, with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Do you want more razor cuts?"  
  
"Wha-", gasped Kazeko, looking down and realizing that she was alone in the garden, only with Siren looking at her. She closed her fist and made a really angry face, shouting "You, whose hair is blue as the deep glacial ice! REVEAL YOUR TRUE IDENTITY AND COME FORTH! And you", she looked at Cat's dog. "Quiet", and the grayhound was tossed to the neighbor's garden with a wind created by one single movement of the youma.  
  
When Kazeko finished her speech, Aindrea stopped running and grabbed his head with both hands, screaming with pain. He soon fell to his knees and bent his body, as if he wanted to protect himself. Tieko went closer to him, worried, and was about to touch his shoulder when he stood up, his eyes shining red. A scream of fear came from Tieko's mouth and she began to step back, trying to get away from Aindrea.  
  
"Get away from her!", shouted Arthur, jumping over Aindrea.  
  
Siren didn't know what to do. She knew that Arthur would try anything to protect Tieko, for what she had seen on his eyes, but Aindrea - or whatever he was - sure was stronger than a common human. But she couldn't go to help Arthur, or Kazeko would be free to do what she wanted to.  
  
"Arthur, you will have to handle that on your own!", shouted Siren, taking battle position and making a glaive appear on her right hand. "I'll take care of Ms. Laughter here!"  
  
"OK! I'll try to... -gah!-", answered Arthur, right before having his throat almost smashed by Aindrea's hands.  
  
Tieko gasped when saw Aindrea suffocating Arthur and ran to get a small branch that had fallen from the tree. She closed her eyes while attacking Aindrea's back with it, using all her strength, but all she did was call his attention to her and he released Arthur, who fell on the ground, breathing hard. He began to walk on her direction, with an evil smile on his face.  
  
"NO!", shouted Siren, looking at Tieko's direction.  
  
"Now, who isn't paying attention on the battle?", said Kazeko, grinning. "Take THIS!"  
  
Kazeko joined both hands in front of her body and aimed at Siren. A strong whirlwind came from her hands and lifted Siren from the ground, taking her almost to the top of the tree Arthur had been some minutes before. With a smile on her face, Kazeko lowered her hands and the wind stopped blowing, letting Siren fall.  
  
"God, this is going to HURT!", thought Siren, trying to think quickly in a way to soften her crash on the hard ground.  
  
"Looks like there's nobody else to stop me from taking you now, young lady...", said Kazeko, getting closer to Tieko, walking slowly.  
  
Arthur's eyes grew wide with horror when he saw Aindrea grabbing Tieko's arm, making her scream. He began to desperate, but something within his mind told him that she wasn't a common girl, that she wasn't defenseless. His old headache returned, after months, making him fell to his knees, unable to keep his head up. He held his head with both hands, curling like a ball, trying to ignore the pain he was feeling.  
  
-She is not defenseless and you know that.-  
-You know that she's not a common girl.-  
-You know that she can handle that by herself.-  
-She's not a common human and neither are YOU!-  
-You carry a secret in your soul, set it free!-  
-SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS ANYMORE!-  
-You are afraid of what can happen in the future.-  
-You can't let this fear take over of your will.-  
-You know that this decision can change your life.-  
-You know that this decision can change your destiny.-  
-Everything is on you now. What will you choose?-  
  
"Shall we go, young lady? After taking you, I...", said Kazeko, stopping when something on Tieko's forehead began to shine. "I see. It was really after you that I had to go. You're the one."  
  
"NO!", shouted Arthur, standing up slowly, a golden shine coming from his forehead. His brown hair was being messed up by some kind of wind that lifted the hair that fell on his face, revealing a magic symbol. "You will have to kill me first! Earth Destiny Power!!!"  
  
"Wha-", gasped Siren, while managing to stab her glaive at the wall of Grandma McKinnion's wooden house. "Arthur is..."  
  
A golden light surrounded Arthur's body, and his clothes were also changed. When the transformation sequence finished, he stood there with black pants and black boots, that were so alike that seemed that it was an only piece of clothing, and a white shirt underneath a brown leather jacket, with a white bracket with the symbol of Earth on his right arm. On the place where Siren had her belt, Arthur had black stripes of cloth, that were moving with the wind that passed by. He also had a long sword at his back.  
  
He withdrew the sword from its accabard and took battle position, preparing himself to attack.  
  
"My, my, looks like there's no end to surprises here", said Kazeko, moving her left arm to her front, creating a whirlwind on his direction, trying to make him fly away from the garden, but Arthur jumped over the wind and, with a somersault, landed right behind Kazeko, poking her with the tip of his sword.  
  
"So, Kazeko, what will you do now?", he asked, with an evil grin on his face. "Retreat... or die?"  
  
"We shall meet again, young warrior", she answered, disappearing in the air.  
  
"What a short battle", said Siren, landing safely on the ground. "But what will we do with HIM?"  
  
Aindrea's eyes were still shining red and his face hadn't turn back to normal. With Kazeko's retreat, he had let Tieko go and seemed as if he was confused, without knowing what to do. He looked everywhere, before taking battle position and preparing himself to attack the two warriors.  
  
"He's Kazeko's creation", said Arthur, getting his sword. "I don't think we have another choice but destroy him."  
  
"Are you really sure of it?", asked Siren, making her glaive disappear. "Maybe if we wait a bit more..."  
  
"Do you think I'm going to wait until he attacks us?", replied Arthur, going on Aindrea's direction. "You seemed to be a nice guy, Aindrea, sorry about this", and he lifted his sword and prepared himself to attack.  
  
"NO!", yelled Tieko, surprising Siren and Arthur, who stopped his attack and lowered his sword. She ran between Aindrea and Arthur and opened her arms. "You won't kill him, Arthur."  
  
"Get out of the way, Tieko! He can attack you!", shouted Arthur, angrily.  
  
"I won't! I know we can find a way to bring him back to normal! It's just a matter of time!", she continued yelling, shaking her head, having tears on her eyes.  
  
"It's just a matter of time until he gets you! Remember what Kazeko said, 'reveal your true identity'! That's what he really is!", and Arthur raised his sword once again.  
  
"If you want to do so, kill me first! I will NOT be responsible for an innocent's death!"  
  
Siren noticied that Aindrea's eyes stopped shining when he heard Tieko's last sentence. His body was shaking and he curled himself, surprising Tieko and Arthur. It was like he was remembering something from a distant past.  
  
***  
"ENOUGH, ART!", she yelled, running between Art and the young blue-haired man, using her kodachi to block Art's sword. "This is only a practice, not a real battle."  
  
"How will he be prepared for a real battle if you don't let me teach him the fear of feeling death nearby?", said Art, smirking.  
  
"We are NOT warriors, Art of Endymion", she continued, helping the other man to stand up. "We are defenders. Don't ever forget that. Are you OK, Amerin?"  
  
"Kyn, you'll spoil the boy...", Art laughed, placing his sword in its accabard. "I do know that we aren't warriors, but how will we be able to protect something if we aren't able to fight?"  
  
"We will protect time with our true skills", she answered, helping Amerin to walk. "That's our duty. That is why we are training so hard."  
  
***  
Suddently, Aindrea's body started to be surrounded by a dark blue light, making Arthur, Tieko and Siren get away from him. The light got stronger, making them close their eyes.  
  
When they were able to open their eyes again, all they saw was an unconscious young man wearing almost the same clothes Kenneth wore as Jupiter Guardian, but in different colors. His shirt was dark blue and his boots were light blue. An acquamarine was shining on the middle of his tiara.  
  
"Amerin...!", gasped Arthur, staring at Aindrea.  
  
*** Author's notes ***  
  
OK, I think you must be wanting to put a bounty on my head with all this crazy story I'm writing and all these unknown terms I'm using. You DO deserve an explanation...  
  
The Destiny Kishi: They are a group of characters I created based on my Brazilian friends. They are from a fanfic called "Tempest of Illusions" that isn't translated to English (it's TOO BIG) and are disciples of Sailor Pluto. They are divided like the Sailor Senshi, named after the planets they are from and have a relationship with the Senshi, in their original story.  
OBS: The names were changed because they are difficult to say in English. The only one that I kept in the original version was Martin's, because it's easier to an English speaker to say "Martin Siu" rather than "Daniel Graminho" or "Paolla Matsuura". Believe me, people hardly could say my name when I was at England.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
|Planet | Real Name |Selenit Name| Senshi Relationship | Alternative Story Name |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
| Moon | Henrique Loyola | Moon Fox | None | Henrique "Rick" Luders |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
|Mercury| Paolla Limy | Kyn | Sailor Mercury's twin | Tieko Aikawa |  
| | Matsuura | | sister | |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
| Mars | Daniel Graminho | Aleph | Sailor Mars' cousin | Daniel Luders |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
|Jupiter| Helio Perroni | Silver Sky | None | Doesn't appear on the |  
| | Filho | | | alternative series |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
| Venus | Edson Makoto | Firebird | Sailor Venus adoptive | Appears only in Pluto's |  
| | Kimura | | brother | Palace |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
| Earth | Not related to a | Art | Prince Endymion's cousin | Arthur Crossroads |  
| | true person | | | |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
|Uranus | Ricardo Gen | Seph | None | Doesn't appear on the |  
| | | | | alternative series |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
|Neptune| Not related to a | Neko | None | Appears only in Pluto's |  
| | true person | | | Palace |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
| Pluto | Martin Siu | Chronos | Sailor Pluto's son | Martin Siu |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
|Saturn | Not related to a | Kare | None | Appears only in Pluto's |  
| | true person | | | Palace |  
|-------|------------------|------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|  
  
The Planet Guardians: They didn't exist in the original stories of the Destiny Kishi. Their story will be explained during "A New Chance".  
  
The Names: As "Jikan no Senshi Destiny Kishi" was created after another fanfic series, called SM-NDK (Sailor Moon and The Dimensional Key), from Exodus Fanfictions (sorry... Portuguese only), I used the Selenit names currently used by Exodus Fanfictions' members.  
  
Sailor Moon = Princess Serenity (Princess of the Moon)  
Sailor Mercury = Saphir (Princess of Mercury)  
Sailor Mars = Fihar (Princess of Mars)  
Sailor Jupiter = Juno (Princess of Jupiter)  
Sailor Venus = Shine (Princess of Venus)  
Sailor Uranus = Amber (Princess of Uranus)  
Sailor Neptune = Marine (Princess of Neptune)  
Sailor Saturn = Onyx (Princess of Saturn - the Messiah)  
Sailor Pluto = Fate (Guardian of Time)  
Tuxedo Kamen = Prince Endymion (Prince of Earth)  
  
In SM-NDK, we name our characters after the Royal House of the planet they were born/raised. That's why Aleph say "Kyn of Saphir" (even though Kyn is also a princess, the main princess is Saphir, the chosen one to be Sailor Mercury) and Chronos say "Firebird of Shine". The Planet Guardians, though, are NOT named like that, because the "Alternative Stories of The Destiny Kishi" is not a part of SM-NDK (that's the REAL reason. The FIC reason is because they are minor warriors when aside with the Senshi and the Kishi, but not less important), so they have the name of the planet they are from, like "Siren of Saturn" and "Gin of Jupiter".  
  
Thanks for your patience for reading all this!  
  
Paolla Limy Matsuura, a.k.a. Tieko Aikawa  
angelmercury@bigfoot.com  
Member of Exodus Fanfictions  
http://fly.to/eff 


	6. The Beginning of a Legend

Chapter 05 - The Beginning of a Legend   
  
All that Grandma McKinnion wanted was a quiet and calm weekend with her granddaughter and her friends. Maybe that was the reason why she was at the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil and for the cookies in the oven. A five-o'clock tea would be perfect, even though it was eleven thirty in the morning.   
  
The old woman prepared the table for Cat, her two friends and the new neighbor. She had heard a car coming by and a boy's voice coming from her background some minutes ago. After hearing a whistle coming from the stove, Grandma McKinnion got the kettle and put it on the table along with fresh hot cookies she had baked that morning. She smiled after looking at the table and walked to the door, ready to call the teenagers for the tea.   
  
"Catherin, dear!", she called, without opening the door. "Tea is ready, call yehr friends!"   
  
"Jesus, NO!" Siren exclaimed, after hearing her grandmother's voice. "What will we do now?!"   
  
"We can turn back to normal, but Amerin is unconscious and can't do the same", said Art, concentrating to change back to his normal clothes.   
  
"Oh well..." Tieko sighed, raising her shoulders and getting a bucket of water. "Forgive me for that, Aindrea, but you will have to wake up the worst way ever. But... someone still has to find your dog, Cat."   
  
"THAT be the easiest part", said Cat, taking a whistle out of her jacket's pocket. "Windy can hear this anywhere he is and come back as fast as he can."   
  
"WINDY?!", exclaimed Arthur and Tieko.   
  
"Why, yes... why are yeh two so surprised?", asked Cat, amazed.   
  
"Isn't 'Windy' a female name?", asked Tieko, throwing water on Amerin's face.   
  
"Sounds as, but that's his nickname. His AKC's name is 'Destiny Wind Runner'", answered Cat, looking at the astonished faces of Arthur and Tieko. "Now what?"   
  
"Err... nothing", said Arthur, kneeling on the ground. "C'mon, Amerin, wake up."   
  
He opened his eyes slowly, surprising Cat and Tieko. His eyes were now golden, not dark blue as before. Just like in the old times, thought Arthur.   
  
"Are you OK?" asked Tieko, dropping the bucket and kneeling beside Amerin.   
  
"I think so... but... what happened?" he asked, looking at his own clothes.   
  
"We'll explain that later", said Cat, patting Windy, which had just arrived at the backyard. "Now turn back to normal before anyone comes 'ere. Me grandmother just called us for tea, want to join us?"   
  
"Uh..." gasped Aindrea, turning back to normal and blushing lightly. "I... I'll be glad to, Catherin."   
  
Tieko blinked to Arthur, who was smiling. His smile was from being happy to be with her; he didn't know why, but all he wanted was to enjoy every single moment with her, for something in his mind told him that that happiness wouldn't last forever.   
  
***  
  
Aleph had fallen asleep on the chair he carried to Kyn's room, so he could stay there more comfortable. Moon Fox smiled when saw that scene and walked back to his room to catch a thick blanket to the one who once was born as a member of the royal family of Mars and now was not only his relative, but his best friend.   
  
Kyn's room was too cold for Aleph, who was protected by Fire as an element. He shivered, stopping only when Moon Fox put the blanket over him.   
  
Trying to ignore the cold, Moon Fox sat on Kyn's bed, looking at her face. Remembering those days when they laughed together at their own driving skills, when they grew old as average teenagers. Days when Sailor Moon and the story of the Silver Millennium were only part of a plot created for a manga and TV show.   
  
"Homesick, Moon Fox? Or just feeling lonely?" asked a young man, whose face was similar to Chronos'. He had straight black hair, cut almost as Moon Fox's, but without the ponytail. He also wore black pants and boots, but his jacket and the stripes of cloth he had as a belt were golden. The symbol of Uranus could be seen on the bracket he wore on the right arm.   
  
"Hello, Seph, Crystal Master", greeted Moon Fox, standing up. "Tired of reading Fate's Memories at the Library?"   
  
"Quite", he said and put his left hand in a small bag he carried on the stripes of cloth. "Here."   
  
Moon Fox opened his hand to get the blue crystal Seph gave him. "An aquamarine. It's her favorite."   
  
"Leave it by her side and come to the main hall", said Seph, leaving Kyn's room. "And bring Aleph too. We need all the Destiny Kishi to make an important decision."   
  
"Geez, don't tell me that we have more problems", said Moon Fox, shaking Aleph's arm.   
  
"As you wish, I won't."   
  
***  
  
Mornington wasn't a big town. The places where everybody used to go were the Game Center and the Coffee Shop that was near of it. For boys like Bradley Cooper and William Hashimoto, both from bigger cities, Mornington was so dull as hell itself. They had been accepted by Fallen College with honor and they wouldn't have to pay for their classes; that was why they were there.   
  
"Let's go to the Game Center", said Bradley, tossing a pillow on William. "I need to get out of here."   
  
"You must be kidding", said William, yawning. "There hasn't been anything new there for months!"   
  
"It's worth a while", he continued. "I need to walk a bit."   
  
"OK... Hey, Martin! Kenneth! We're going to the Game Center! You two wanna join us?"   
  
Martin sighed in relief and just mumbled a 'no, thank you', while he continued typing on his notebook. Kenneth raised an eyebrow and left the couch where he had been for the last hours, thinking of what had happened. A walk would help put his mind in order and he had to know better the town.   
  
"Seems a good opportunity to take a walk", said Kenneth, placing his wallet in his pocket.   
  
After the three left the dormitory, Martin turned off his notebook and walked to the kitchen, which still looked like a war zone.   
  
"Looks like I'll have to take care of this mess..." he said, kneeling down and picking up some knives and forks.   
  
Suddenly, a very strong whirlwind appeared in the middle of the kitchen, surprising Martin. He wanted to call for help, but the strong smell of ether made him sleep quickly. His body was lifted from the floor and disappeared in the middle of the whirlwind. A small piece of paper was left where Martin had been picking up some knives.   
  
Something on Daniel's mind called his attention and he ran downstairs quickly, being followed by Rick. A cold chill ran down their spines when they saw the paper on the floor.   
  
"Why can't we have a nice and quiet weekend?" sighed Rick, kneeling down to get the paper.   
  
"Maybe because God or someone up there doesn't like us", said Daniel, joking. "What is that?"   
  
"A note for the Planet Guardians", answered Rick, walking around the hall while reading the paper. "A ransom note. Kazeko has one of our friends, the Chinese one, she says, and wants to meet the Guardians at the gym at 10 p.m..."   
  
"Martin!" exclaimed Daniel. "We have to find Kenneth and Cat right now!"   
  
"Let's go after Kenneth. We don't know where is the house of Cat's grandmother. Just don't let Bradley and William know, OK?"   
  
"No problem", said Daniel, wearing his jacket with the symbol of Fallen College. "Now it's midday. We have 10 hours to find them and to decide what we'll do."   
  
"Countdown has already begun..."   
  
***  
  
"I hope everything is good for all of yeh", said Grandma McKinnion, serving tea to Aindrea and ignoring Cat's glare of 'we-want-to-talk-alone-got-it'.   
  
"You didn't have to worry, Mrs. McKinnion", said Tieko, getting a cookie from the tray.   
  
"Catherin doesn't have many friends", continued Grandma McKinnion, while a small black cloud with thunder and lightning started to crackle over Cat's head, making Arthur gasp in the middle of a sip of tea. "So I'm always happy when she brings you here."   
  
"Gasp! Cough!" coughed Arthur, covering his mouth with a napkin. "We do appreciate your effort, Mrs. McKinnion, but... unfortunately, we have to do some chores now."   
  
Grandma McKinnion's face became sad as she wished they could stay more. "So soon?" and Cat almost sighed in relief. "Well, if you have to go, please take some of these to yehr friends."   
  
*Brother, this woman sure is fast!* thought Arthur, when she handled a small box to Tieko, taking it out of someplace. "Why don't you come with us, Aindrea? You can use the afternoon to see how the town is and to know more people."   
  
"I'll just change my sweater to a dry one and I'll be right with you", he answered, taking the towel out of his shoulder.   
  
"Thanks for everything, grandmother", Cat kissed her goodbye. "I'll be back next week or when yeh call me, OK?"   
  
"Bring your friends along with you", said Grandma, waving goodbye.   
  
***  
  
Not all the Destiny Kishi were at the Main Hall of Pluto's Palace by Chronos' request. By the Silver Table stood Moon Fox, Aleph, Firebird, Seph and Chronos - Moon, Mars, Venus, Uranus and Pluto. There weren't many Guardians of Time, as Sailor Pluto had written their rules so that a new team of Destiny Kishi would only be created when the previous one no longer existed.   
  
"Why did you call us for an emergency meeting, Chronos?" asked Firebird.   
  
"We've got bigger problems than I thought", answered Chronos, with a worried statement on his face. "And I believe I discovered why Art's essence never found peace during these decades."   
  
"Focus the mirror and narrow the image", ordered Seph to the voice control panel and the mirror of Tieko's Timeline became bigger.   
  
"I can tell that I'm partially responsible for that", continued Chronos, pointing at the screen. "If I hadn't send Kyn's essence to Tieko Aikawa's body, she would be safe, here with us. I've put her life in danger."   
  
"Explain that clearly and DON'T take too much time for that!" shouted Moon Fox, angrily.   
  
"Easy there, Moon Fox", said Aleph. "Chronos is the actual Guardian of Time and our leader. And... he's saying he's guilty, when would we ever think we'd hear something like that? Nor Sailor Pluto nor any former Guardian would do that."   
  
"You're right. I think I'm just too nervous, sorry."   
  
"Don't worry about that, I would do the same", answered Chronos, taking a deep breath. "If I hadn't given permission to Arthur Crossroads use the Time Key, Art's essence would just go to another Timeline and begin his journey again. But I sent the main essence of the only woman he loved in his life... and that called HER attention."   
  
"HER attention?" gasped Firebird. "You mean that Neko..."   
  
"Yes. I called the woman whose heart he broke. Neko of Marine, the former Neptune Destiny Kishi is back."   
  
"But she was expelled from the team", said Moon Fox, remembering when he took her Silver Pen from her soul. "How could she be able to rewrite time without it?"   
  
"The Neptune Silver Pen disappeared from the palace years ago", said Seph, in a low voice. "We didn't tell you that because we had just finished with a terrible battle and not everyone would react in a good way..."   
  
"That means that we will have to do something to stop Neko right now", said Aleph. "Before she creates a Space-Dimension Gate."   
  
"Too late", sighed Moon Fox, collapsing on a chair. "This explains why no extra-dimensional creature could be found before Kazeko appeared. She already did it, Aleph."   
  
Moon Fox's face was of fear. For the first time in many decades, he didn't know what to do and he knew that his friends had the same feeling. When Chronos stood up, everyone hoped he had a good idea to deal with that problem.   
  
"I've decided to awake the Inner Senshi of that Timeline", he said, while a deep silence took over the hall. "Hey, that won't be a BIG problem... why are you with THAT face?"   
  
"We're going to mess up MORE lives?" asked Firebird, sighing.   
  
"We won't", said Seph, remembering a sentence that Arthur had said that morning. "Because they already exist, but as Sailor Scouts. We'll just make things faster."   
  
"And create a way of taking them to America, am I right?" said Aleph.   
  
"OK, guys, we have a LOT of work to do..." said Moon Fox, with his Silver Pen on his hands.  



	7. By The Crescent Moon Light

Chapter 06 - By The Crescent Moon Light   
  
Daniel and Rick ran by the streets of downtown Mornington as if they had to save their lives (well, I would do the same if I had received a ransom note like that). All the way they thanked all their gods that Fallen Institute wasn't too far from Main Avenue, where almost all the stores were located, including the Game Center and the Ice Cream Shop. If they knew Bradley and William very well, the Game Center was the right place to go for them.   
  
Soon, they were able to see three boys walking down the avenue, almost going into the Game Center. Two of them wore the jacket of Fallen College, while the third one had a dark green jacket over his shoulders. Rick made a small movement with his head and Daniel slowed down and both of them took a deep breath to stop panting.   
  
"Hey, Kenneth!", called Rick, after starting to breathe normally. "Can you come here just for a sec?"   
  
"Huh?", Kenneth halted and looked back. He didn't know why, but something just said that he had to go back. "You two, have fun", he said to Bradley and William, who just kept looking to Kenneth. "I'll go talk with him."   
  
"Do as you wish", answered William. "See'ya."   
  
Kenneth ran back to where were Daniel and Rick. No words were necessary to explain that they had a very serious problem on their hands; that could be read on the two cousins' eyes. The ransom note soon was with Kenneth, who read it carefully before saying anything. That sly Kazeko was smart, but just couldn't help using old villain plots...   
  
After reading the note, the Guardian of Jupiter took his pendant out of his t-shirt and spent some time looking at the symbol. *It's almost like the number '4'*, he thought, noticing how it was shining with the sunlight. "We have spare time until the 'meeting'. Let's find Cat."   
  
"She must be heading back to the girls' dormitory", said Daniel, feeling his hands cold and putting them into his jacket's pockets. "The best choice we have know is go back and wait for her."   
  
"You're right", said Rick. "And it's safer there than here", and they started walking back to the Fallen Institute.   
  
***  
  
When the three boys got at the boys' dormitory, they were startled with the noise of kitchenware that came from inside. They opened the door very carefully, trying not to call anyone's attention.   
  
"What are the three of yeh doin' there?", asked Cat, moments before seeing three boys jumping very high and yelling.   
  
"God, do you ALWAYS have to scare us to death?!", yelled Rick, breathing hardly.   
  
"Hey, do I look like a ghost?", said Cat. *Mental note: That scene has to go to my next book.* "So, why were yeh sneakin' in like that?"   
  
"We heard some strange noises coming from inside and...", began Daniel, right before a white cloud went out from the kitchen. "OK, I understood. I think we'll have to get used to Tieko's way of cooking."   
  
"But we have more serious things to worry about than Tieko's cooking skills", said Kenneth, handing the note to Cat... and putting it in his pocket when he saw Aindrea sitting on the couch. "Who is he?"   
  
"No need ta worry about secrets, Kenneth", said Arthur. "We are alone here and... he's also a Guardian."   
  
Aindrea stopped watching TV and looked back. "I suppose he is the one you were talking about...", he stood up and went to Kenneth's direction. "I'm Aindrea Terence... Amerin of Neptune."   
  
"Whew", sighed Kenneth, handing again the note to Cat. "Read this. We have a BIG problem now and... is there anything else that I don't know yet?"   
  
A female voice, with some coughs, answered from the kitchen. "You bet -cough, cough- we just found two Guardians, Aindrea and Arthur."   
  
"I think the next thing I'll manage to do here is install soundproof panels on the walls", said Kenneth. "There're too many secrets being said aloud here. So, Arthur, who are you?"   
  
"I'm Art of Endymion, Earth Destiny Kishi", he answered, laughing.   
  
"A different type of name and title", said Rick, sitting on the couch. "Do you know why?"   
  
"My memory is coming back slowly, but I remember that once I almost harmed Amerin very badly", said Arthur, while Cat raised an eyebrow reading the note. "A blue-haired girl stopped me... her name was..."   
  
"Kyn", said Aindrea. "Kyn of Saphir, I can remember that. Her name was of the same type as Art's, her family name being not the name of a planet, like mine's."   
  
Tieko came out of the kitchen and sat by the table, still with flour on her dark black hair, almost blue. "I just can't understand why there are so many Guardians being revealed now."   
  
"We can think about that later", said Cat. "Now we have more important tings to tink about..."   
  
"Finally", sighed Daniel, in relief. "I think we have all the Planet Guardians here. What will you do about Martin?"   
  
"What else?", asked Cat, taking her pendant out of her blouse. "We're goin' there at the time Kazeko wants. And...", she added. "Daniel and Rick stay here to protect Tieko. She is the one Kazeko is lookin' fur."   
  
"HEY!", shouted Arthur. "And if Kazeko doesn't show up and comes here to get her?"   
  
"She doesn't know that Aindrea is a Guardian, so he can be with us", said Tieko, with her arms over the table. "I'll be fine."   
  
Kenneth sat by the table and kept in silence for some seconds, trying to think in any kind of plan to finish the battle as a winner, rescuing Martin and sending Kazeko back to where she had come from. He just couldn't understand why everyone had stopped talking and he felt as if a dozen eyes were glaring at him, waiting for an answer. Nobody had said that he was the leader of the...   
  
"C'mon, you aren't saying that I'm the leader, are you?", Kenneth asked, raising his head with surprise in his eyes.   
  
"I think you can remember something from our previous lives", said Aindrea. "We don't have our leader here yet, so we have to choose other one while we don't find Selen of Moon."   
  
"Wait-a-sec, shouldn't Cat be a better choice? She was the first one to remember she was a Guardian!", said Kenneth, reading on everyone's eyes that they had already made their choice. "Sheesh... I think I have no choice, right? So let's try to figure out something to rescue Martin while keeping Tieko at a safe place. The ones who are NOT Guardians have any idea?"   
  
Daniel and Rick raised their hands and quickly began to explain their plan, while Arthur, Cat, Kenneth, Aindrea and Tieko gathered around the two cousins, willing to hear what they had to say. Everybody just hoped that they had a good plan, especially Arthur. A pain in his heart told him that he had lost something very precious once... and he swore it would never happen again.   
  
Never.   
  
***  
  
The clock never ran so slowly like in that afternoon. Everybody was at the boys' dormitory, gathered in the TV room, waiting for William and Bradley to return from the town and waiting for the time of the challenge to come. They just couldn't take another episode of Pokémon or Digimon or they would just burst out of anxiety.   
  
"C'mon, who changed up to Cartoon Network?!", asked Kenneth, nervous. "No, stop! DON'T change it to Sony!", he continued, after seeing the TV control on Daniel's hands.   
  
"Don't you like 'That 70's Show'?", asked Daniel. "OK, then, which channel do you all want?"   
  
"Leave it on CNN. Maybe they have something interesting there...", sighed Tieko, who laid on the couch like a bag.   
  
"Man, those two REALLY are having a good time at the Game Center", said Cat, stretching her arms. "Or they got lost again..."   
  
"Hey, the news!", said Aindrea, pointing at the TV screen. The symbol of a crescent moon was above the main anchor of the news program.   
  
"... and Tokyo still is being attacked night after night by strange monsters. Nobody knows what they want, but many people are being found with low energy in their bodies. Surprisingly, they all recover when these five girls give them a pink crystal", said the man at the TV, while the image changed to the figure of a girl with funny ponytails. "Since the last year, these five girls, who call themselves 'The Sailor Senshi' or 'Sailor Team', have been fighting against all sort of monsters. Their leader is the blond with the round ponytails, Sailor Moon, but nobody knows their true identity."   
  
The image of the crescent moon and of Sailor Moon made everyone stare at the TV screen and time in the room seemed to stop for some moments. Sailor Moon... the Sailor Senshi... what did they have in their history that was so familiar to most of the people in the TV room? Cat, Art, Aindrea, Kenneth and Tieko knew that those two round ponytails were familiar to them... and carried many memories of a distant time to their minds. Memories that they didn't want to let fade away.   
  
Nevertheless, Aindrea's alarm watch bipped five times, bringing everyone back to normal. "Nine-thirty", he said. "Time to go..."   
  
"Let's follow Rick's plan, then", said Arthur. "We can't let Kazeko think that she's in this building, all alone, so we'll take her to Fallen College. Daniel and Rick will stay there with her, as they know better how and where they can hide."   
  
"The Guardians and Arthur go to the gym, transformed. We can't let her know all our true identities, she already knows who Arthur is", said Cat. "Aindrea will stay with Daniel, Rick and Tieko, as he is aGuardian who Kazeko doesn't know yet. Understood? Any questions?"   
  
"No questions", said Kenneth, with his pendant in his hand. "Jupiter Green POWER!"   
  
"So it's time. Saturn Violet POWER!"   
  
"May God help us all... Neptune Blue POWER!"   
  
"Take care", said Arthur, looking at Tieko. "Earth Destiny POWER!"   
  
***  
  
Ten o'clock. Just the time Kazeko had set up. Right in the middle of Fallen Gym, Kazeko stood floating in midair, waiting for the Guardians to come and be caught on her trap... or to take her hostage away. She just couldn't deal with Martin writing down every single step she took during the hours they were together. Sometimes she thought she had seen smoke coming out of the small notebook and of the pencil he used to write on it.   
  
"Would you PLEASE stop taking notes?!", she yelled.   
  
"Well, it's not everyday that I'm taken as a hostage by an extra-dimensional being", Martin answered in his low voice and smiling.   
  
"I should have chosen somebody else..."   
  
"WHAT? Spoilsport..."   
  
"Shut UP! It's about time they...", said Kazeko, when the gym door opened. "Finally."   
  
Art was the first one to enter the gym, followed by Gin and Siren. Their footsteps echoed through the gym as they got closer to Kazeko and her hostage. Not everyone had noticed it, but, as Aindrea's eyes, which color changed to gold when he was as Amerin, also Gin and Siren's eyes changed color. Gin's eyes were light grey, while Siren's were violet as her clothes. Only Art's eyes continued the same color as when he was Arthur and that was another mystery to be solved... later.   
  
"We're here as you wanted, Kazeko", said Gin, stepping forward the trio. "Release him."   
  
"My, do you really think that I would let him go BEFORE I win the battle? You must be kidding! He is the other source of energy I was sent after!", laughed Kazeko, kicking Martin to the side. "But I still have to finish my task! I have to get that girl and take them both with me."   
  
"Only over MY dead body", growled Art, whose hands began to shine. "Soil Graveyard, RISE!!!", he shouted, raising his right hand, as if he was giving an order to something. The floor began to shake, while a part of it rose and covered Kazeko, burying her alive.   
  
That scene shocked Gin and Siren. They knew that Art's powers were much bigger than theirs, but they didn't realize HOW much bigger it was. Siren's 'Violet Razor Storm' wasn't enough to kill someone like Kazeko and Gin didn't know yet his true power. How many mysteries would still be hidden in their memories of past lives...?   
  
But the trio didn't have time to think about it. Right when Gin was about to congratulate Art for his good work, the pile of shattered cement began to shake and a strong wind came from it, lifting the three Guardians off the floor, making them crash into the nearest wall.   
  
"You are stronger than the others", said Kazeko, while the wind united to make her female body again. "But your powers never will be able to kill me!"   
  
"Dammit!", said Art, raising his right arm to his side. Gin did the same and swords appeared through their arms. Siren made her glaive appear by her side. "Physical attacks won't harm her! Power up your blades!"   
  
"Youkai!", said Gin, without noticing he had used another language. "Jupiter Green Power!", and he jumped with his sword over his head. Sparkles of eletric energy were coming from the blade. "Green Thunder BLAST!!!"   
  
"Shinne!", yelled Siren, also using another language. "Saturn Violet Power!", she bent down and crouched to attack Kazeko's legs with her glaive. "Silent SHOCK!!!"   
  
Kazeko yelled in pain when the three blades sank into her windy body and fell to her knees when the three warriors jumped back and prepared themselves to defense. But she was laughing evilly when she looked up to them, a mad look on her eyes. Siren felt a cold chill down her spine and, suddenly, a scene from one of her books came to her mind.   
  
***  
  
It was a day that she would never forget. The day when the shy little girl, daughter of a common family of Saturn, would meet the Messiah, her princess. She was very excited. Not everyone had the honor of seeing her Highness and she would be taken to the House of Onyx, chosen within all the girls in her planet.   
  
The blond girl wore a white plain dress when she was taken to see the Messiah herself. And there She was, holding the Silence Glaive in one of her hands and another glaive, with a different blade, in the other hand.   
  
"You shall be sent to Pluto now, child of Saturn", She said, touching the girl's left shoulder with the blade of the Silence Glaive. "This is your glaive. Now you may go... and be brave, Siren of Saturn."   
  
Those were the last words she heard before being sent to a long journey.   
  
***  
  
"SIREN!", shouted Art, bringing her back to reality. "LOOK OUT!!!"   
  
Kazeko was very close to Saturn Guardian and quickly made her hand turn into wind again, using it to choke her enemy. There were too much wind and Siren wasn't able to breathe; it was ironic, to choke with that amount of air surrounding her face. She tried to escape, but another gulf of wind kept her arms and legs wrapped up as a rope would do.   
  
"Don't come any closer!", shouted Kazeko, when Art and Gin stepped forward. "Otherwise, I'll make the gym roof come down and kill you all!"   
  
Art gasped. Martin was still in the gym and he didn't have any kind of power to protect him from the weight of the roof. But he was one of the energy sources she was looking for, she wouldn't kill him...   
  
... would she?   
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!", a female voice shouted, coming from the roof.   
  
That startled Kazeko, who left Siren go. If she had kept the wind on Siren's face for some seconds longer, she would be unconscious.   
  
Gin and Art looked up to see who had said that. The lights of the gym suddently were turned on and the face of the girl, of beautiful silver hair, could be seen.   
  
"Selen of Moon!" 


	8. Memories

Chapter 07 - Memories  
  
"In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!!!"  
  
The voice of the silver-haired girl still echoed through the gym, giving Siren time to recover from Kazeko's attack. Her lips were almost blue when Kenneth got her in his arms, before she fell on the ground. That was something that he liked most in his Guardian form: his legs were much quicker than before.  
  
Art could just slap his forehead. Even though he thanked all his gods for that girl had called Kazeko's attention, he just couldn't help but thinking that she could have done a better entrance. One he swore he had seen before, just couldn't remember where - and when.  
  
"I didn't know you had more allies, Guardians", said Kazeko, her arms crossed in front of her body. "That means that I can't afford to have a fair fight with you..."  
  
"God, not 'old villain plot' anymore... that's tiring", sighed Art, lowering his sword. A mistake that he would never do again.  
  
Gin didn't have time to do anything else but yell an alert when he saw Kazeko's hands glowing with blue energy and thrusting against Art. His sword was lowered down, he didn't have time to block her attack with its blade or with other energy attack. "Say farewell to your LIFE, fool!!!"  
  
*This... can't be happening again... I remember... someone said I would have redemption for my sins and I... I just can't die. Not now*  
  
***  
"Heh... sometimes, I think how could I fall in love with you", laughed Art, turning his face aside. "You're weak, Kyn of Saphir. Just as your sister is."  
  
The girl's face became pale, as if a ghost had appeared in front of here. Atonished, she blinked her eyes twice and used her hand to make Art look at her.  
  
"Repeat it. Repeat what you've said!", she ordered, little sparkles of anger coming from her eyes.  
  
"As you wish. And more, I still think no one from Mercury should be chosen to be part of the Union. Even during the Silver Millenium, no warrior chosen from Mercury was capable to accomplish his duty entirely. Sailor Mercury was the first Senshi to die, remember that? You were one of the first Destiny Kishi who were defeated in the final battle... Mercury Dragon and Mercury Noble Kishi didn't even get to the Battle of Crysium. Your powers are so weak that they are good only for defense. And that's useless, because even your defense is so weak that never works."  
  
Kyn could only remain quiet, listening to everything that Art had to say. Sailor Mercury knew that she had anger that grew in her soul.  
  
"Kyn..."  
  
"Saphir, go to the Silver Saloon", she ordered, getting closer to Art and grabbing his jacket.  
  
She felt pain through all her body and her mind also wasn't in good conditions. All the previous battles had done that to her and to everyone who already were in the Silver Saloon. She knew that her energy was almost finished and didn't know even if she would be able to help in their final task. The Destiny Timeline Restore.  
  
But she just couldn't let someone say those horrible things to those she loved... and she knew she was putting her life in danger when got closer to Art.  
  
"I knew you would do that, my dear Kyn...", Art whispered, holding her body against his with one arm and giving a strong punch against her stomach. That made her lose almost all her air. "CRYSTAL WEAPON! KASUNAGI NO TSURUGI!"  
  
"WHAT?!", yelled Eternal Sailor Moon, trying to run in Kyn's direction.  
  
But something... no, someone didn't let her go. With his arm, the leader of the Destiny Kishi didn't let the leader of the Senshi and the Inner Senshi go ahead.  
  
"You mustn't go".  
  
"But..."  
  
"She is aware of the risks of doing that", said Sailor Pluto's son, with no change in his face. "Give her a chance, Serenity."  
  
Eternal Sailor Moon couldn't do anything else, but watch while Art's Crystal Weapon got closer to Kyn's fragile body. The green eyes of Earth Destiny Kishi were shining with satisfaction while his arms hold the girl's body and the Kasunagi no Tsurugi. He knew he was going to die...  
  
"We shall be together forever, sweetheart."  
  
Kyn couldn't answer Art's words. She knew that the Crystal Weapon was a threaten against her life and against the whole world she loved.  
  
"Kyn-chan... hottokenai yo...", whispered Sailor Mercury, looking to her sister without being able to do nothing.  
  
And it was for her sister's sake that, even with tears in her eyes, Kyn closed her fist and yelled the words Art knew he would hear. Death's sweet words...  
  
"Mercury Destiny POWER!!!", a blue aura surrounded the girl's body and her eyes lost her pupils. She didn't see anymore, she just knew what she had to do to protect her own life and to protect Mercury's energy, essencial to remake the Timeline.  
  
She couldn't die. She didn't wait twenty thousand years to reborn and lose her life for a insane love. She wasn't going to die, not after all that happened... she would keep her promise and her words she had given to Sailor Pluto. She wouldn't allow herself to die. Not like that.  
  
"Water FLASH!!!", and the energy of Mercury Destiny Kishi's attack concentrated in Art's belly, in the moment when he was about to thrust the blade of his Crystal Weapon in Kyn's back.  
  
His death was quick. But Art's essence didn't vanish with his body, going to his murderer tired body. With tears on her face and blood coming from the wound in her back, Kyn didn't refuse the energy that Art offered to her and smiled tenderly. And finally she understood what had he done.  
  
"I knew you would-", were his last words, a strange peace in his look. His spirit couldn't be judged only by that single moment, but Kyn didn't have time to spare. Running with the last sources of energy her small body still had, she joined the other Destiny Kishi in the Silver Saloon. Before it was too late.  
  
Years after Art's death, his essence still wandered through the Timelines, with no place to rest. He had been alive for twenty thousand years, waiting for his loved one and even after his death, he hadn't given up looking after her. And so he did. He saw when her life changed from a mere College student to a Guardian of Time, saw when she decided to have a normal life with all her friends... when she married, a great pain took over his soul, but he kept looking after her.  
  
And that continued until a strong energy called for him. In the Palace of Pluto. In the only place where his essence would have a body again.  
  
"Welcome back to the Silver Saloon, Art of Endymion", greeted Moon Fox, when Art's body materialized.  
  
"Thank you, Moon Fox", he answered, looking around the saloon. "Why did you call me?"  
  
"After so many years, we have your veredict", said Aleph, stepping forward, followed by Kyn. "Your acts against that Timeline have been analysed and now we have decided what you deserve."  
  
"But that's something we thought it would be better to be said by other person rather than me", continued Chronos, holding a strange weapon. The one called Unseelie Holy. "Kyn of Saphir, please..."  
  
The blue-haired woman stepped forward and took a deep breath before saying anything. She was beautiful as Art could remember. "Art of Endymion, for your crimes against all Timelines and for breaking the Code of Caronte, source of our rules, you are sentenced to reborn in any Timeline chosen randomly and to live as many lives are necessary for you to learn the true meaning of love and loyalty", she stopped for some seconds to clean a tear that was falling on her face. "In every life you have, you shall meet my counterpart and have a new chance with her. That shall repeat until you learn what is true Love."  
  
"May Kyn of Saphir's words become true", said Chronos, letting the Unseelie Holy on the table and picking up the Time Staff. The Garnet Orb began to shine and Art's body vanished once more. "And may Serenity guide your lives."  
  
***  
"Moon Silver STARDUST!!!", attacked Selen, jumping from the top of the gym, throwing small crescent moons shaped energy in Kazeko. That made her bend her body to the back and gave Art time to recover.  
  
"I... I can't die! Not now! Earth Destiny POWER!!!", and Art's body began to shine with golden energy, making Kazeko scream with pain. "Earth Power HURRICANE!!!", a strong gust of wind with sharp pieces of stone thrust against her body, making her scream more and more. "You shall be killed by your own element, Kazeko! And this gym shall be your grave! Soil Graveyard! RISE!!!"  
  
Siren, Gin and Selen gasped in horror when saw Art's violence against Kazeko. Siren had almost been killed by her, but she would never attack with such anger, neither would do Gin nor Selen. Selen could remember that the ones called 'Planet Guardians' weren't as powerful as the Sailor Senshi or the high-class Kishi that existed in the Union of the Silver Millenium, but never had heard of a Kishi who would attack with such anger and sorrow in his heart.  
  
"It's over", said Gin, lowering his head, having one of Siren's arms held on his shoulder.  
  
"So I think we should go check Amerin and the others, what do yeh think?"  
  
"Others?", asked Selen. "You mean there are more of us here?"  
  
"There's a lot to be said, Selen", said Gin. "I'm glad you appeared. By the way, what is your real name?", and they began to walk out of the gym, letting Art alone by the pile in the center of the gym.  
  
"Megan Lightner", she answered. "You?"  
  
"Kenneth Raiden. Say, have anything to do tomorrow?"  
  
"First day in school. I'm a newbie at Fallen High."  
  
"Welcome to Mornington and to Fallen Institute", said Siren. "Catherin McKinnion."  
  
"Thanks", and they walked out of the gym as if nothing had happened. A strange atmosphere had taken over the place. They all felt as if they had seen the end of a war.  
  
It was funny... they knew they had that feeling before. In another time, in another life.  
  
***  
Inside the halls of Fallen College, Daniel, Rick, Tieko and Amerin could do nothing but listen to the sounds of the battle that took place in the gym and wait until it finished. They had worry in their looks and a cold chill ran down their spines when the floor shaked with a strong rumble. They knew that was the end of the battle and - they hoped so - the end of all that trouble.  
  
But something on Daniel's mind kept telling him that it was only the beginning of a whole new adventure. He just couldn't tell if he would like it or not.  
  
"It's over", said Rick, turning on his flashlight. "I think we'll soon know who's the winner."  
  
"Let's see who's coming to pick us here", said Amerin. "The Guardians or some strange extra-dimensional being."  
  
"If I could choose, I'd prefer the first option", said Tieko, embracing her knees and curling like a ball.  
  
"C'mon, you can't be like this, Tieko", said Daniel, kneeling beside her. "Tomorrow is your first day in Fallen College, weren't you the one who just loved going to school? This is not the one I used to know..."  
  
"Wha-", gasped Tieko, looking at him. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"About Internet. BRFandom Mailing List. You told us you were coming to Mornington, don't you remember?", said Rick, turning around to face Tieko. "I'm Ryu Satori."  
  
"And I'm Lander. I think you're the only one who writes your real name in your e-mail address, Tieko", Daniel smiled, trying to calm her down. "Or should I call you Kyn?"  
  
"Kyn?", asked Amerin, getting pale.  
  
"Yes, that's my nickname. It's the name of the girl you said that saved your life in the past, isn't it? Kyn of Saphir... I don't know why, but I was startled when you said that. I just didn't let anyone see my reaction."  
  
"One more mystery in my list...", sighed Amerin, making a sign to everyone remain quiet. Footsteps could be heard echoing through the halls. "Someone is coming."  
  
Daniel and Rick gathered around Tieko, in a foolish attempt to protect her. They knew that they wouldn't be of much help against a being much stronger than a common human, but Tieko could try to escape while they distracted whatever was coming by. "OK, who's going to be the first one to be the 'bait'?", sighed Daniel.  
  
"Calm down, you two and please remain in silence", said Amerin, stepping forward. "After all, if I can remember, I was sent here to take care of the three of you."  
  
The three Brazilians could just see when Amerin joined his hands in front of his chest, as a prayer, and a blue light began to shine between his fingers. Whispering some words that they couldn't hear, the Guardian separated his hands slowly, the light getting stronger and following his movements. "... by the power that you and I possesses, I beg for your protection", were the words they could finally hear. "... Tidal Wall."  
  
"Wow... didn't think you could do that, Amerin. Congrats", said Daniel, his hand on his chin.  
  
"All we can do now is wait. Don't worry, Tieko", he smiled, turning back. "We're safe here... and I'm sure that Art and the others will bring Martin back."  
  
***  
In the meanwhile, a young Chinese man walked alone through the pathway between Fallen Gym and the boys' dormitory, a lot of dirt over his clothes and with his glasses somewhat broken. "Seems like I've got a lot of new information for my next stories...", he spoke aloud, without noticing that there was somebody watching him. "Geez... I hope there's still some Strawberry tea in the kitchen. I'll need a pot of it before doing anything else, of course, a bath will come before my tea."  
  
"It's strange", Martin contined talking to himself. "I feel that I've said something like that before."  
  
"Hey, Martin!!!", someone called, running after him through the pathway. Arthur Crossroads. "Err... what are you doing outside the dormitory after ten o'clock in the night?"  
  
"I could ask the same thing to you, Arthur", replied Martin, his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Or should I call you 'Art'?"  
  
"Wha-", gasped Arthur, stepping back.  
  
"Hey, if you don't like that nickname, just tell me, OK? Don't need to look at me like that", he sighed. "It's just that I like to give nickname to my colleagues."  
  
Arthur sighed in relief. For some seconds, he had thought that Martin had discovered is identity as a Destiny Kishi. "If you don't mind, I prefer being called by my own name."  
  
"OK, then."  
  
"Are you OK?"  
  
"Why are you asking that?", Martin asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Just that I heard some strange noise coming from the gym and that you're covered with dust. And I saw the Guardians running there an hour ago."  
  
"Heh, nothing that a good and nice bottle of Strawberry tea can't correct. That and a good bath will make me feel better than ever", he smiled. A smile that made Arthur shiver for no reason. "After all... I don't fear death."  
  
"You don't? Why?", Arthur asked, feeling a strange cold chill on his body. Could be because it was getting cooler.  
  
"Because some people are so afraid to die...", Martin answered, but Arthur already knew what he was going to say. "... that they never begin to live." 


	9. A Day to Remember

Chapter 08 - A Day to Remember   
  
"The labyrinth is still unfinished,  
Your myth will return to the sky"  
-= Sailor Senshi - L'amour D'amour Moonlight =-   
  
"Aindrea!" shouted Cat, walking through the halls of Fallen College. "Yeh can come out with them, now! Everything's over!"   
  
By her side, Kenneth and Megan walked together, trying to talk about themselves and about their fate as Guardians. It had been a busy night for all of them... and the three had to find the hidden ones quickly, so they could go back to the dormitory, make a bandage on Kenneth and Cat's wounds and try to have some sleep before lessons started.   
  
"So you're also a newbie here?" asked Megan, noticing how that building could be scary at night.   
  
"Sort of. I'm the new janitor, but I'll be able to study at Fallen Technical School, half-period. I got this job for my sis too, 'cause she'll be able to study at Fallen High School while I'm here", answered Kenneth, kicking an imaginary stone on the floor. "But my nights are always free."   
  
"Heh... are you trying to ask me out?"   
  
"Did I succeed?" he winked, smiling a bit. Megan couldn't say that Kenneth wasn't a good-looking guy... and she needed some distraction after all the busy life she had had since she arrived at Mornington, a week ago. Unpacking her luggage was something she was used to, but not something she liked to do.   
  
***  
In the meanwhile, far away from Mornington, in a place that few people would know, three young men were trying to calm down a furious lady, dressed in a white suit with blue bow and collar, that stepped hard with her blue boots on the ground. On her forehead, a golden tiara with a blue gemstone made her face more beautiful... even though the three didn't think so at that moment. They would say that it was an ice monster from Mercury what they saw where Sailor Mercury should be standing.   
  
"Easy, Sailor Mercury, PLEASE!" pledged Aleph, using his animated chain to try to stop her from entering the Silver Saloon like a mad hurricane. "We can explain everything after you settle down, I promise!!!"   
  
"Aleph's right, Lady Saphir!" said Firebird, pushing her back to the entrance hall with no effort at all. "There's nothing you can do now, just let us explain..."   
  
"Explain WHAT, Firebird of Shine?!" growled a mad Sailor Senshi, stopping suddenly and staring at the oriental young man with eyes he swore he had never seen before in Sailor Mercury's gentle face. "There's been a long time since I last received any letter from my sister and when I come to visit her, I just sense that her energy is FADING OUT! What, in the name of Serenity, are you doing to her?!"   
  
"If you calm down and sit here a bit, we'll be able to explain everything, Sailor Mercury", answered Moon Fox, offering a chair to her. "You're right, Kyn's energy really seems to be fading out, but... she's not in danger, please believe us."   
  
The blue-haired Senshi took a deep breath and looked at Moon Fox, demanding a better explanation. "So, if she's not in danger, why is her energy fading out?"   
  
"Because she's not in this Timeline", said Aleph.   
  
*Oh, great, Daniel! That was EXACTLY what we needed her to know and the way you said it was PERFECT, congrats!* Thought Firebird, clenching his teeth and thinking all the sort of bad names he had learn in all his decades of life. "Err... how could we explain that in better words..." he gasped when saw the color of Sailor Mercury's face go away.   
  
"I think you still remember what happened in 1995", said Moon Fox, trying to calm himself AND Sailor Mercury down. "After the battle in the Silver Saloon and after we defeated Art."   
  
Sailor Mercury nodded, while some tears began to roll down her face. "You mean that she is in that extra-temporal capsule again? And that she's suffering from lack of energy?"   
  
Moon Fox sighed in relief and his green eyes tried to show some hope to the Senshi. "No. She's just in a deep sleep, while her essence is in another Timeline, helping someone to have redemption for his sins", he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Kyn is helping Art in his search for peace."   
  
"But..." she began, a soft smile appearing on her face. "How long will this take and... Why didn't she say anything about that to me?"   
  
"Because she doesn't know what is happening to her, either", said Chronos, appearing on the door, making Aleph, Firebird and Moon Fox try to remember all the bad names they all had learn during their lives. "You don't have reason to worry, though, Sailor Mercury, as your counterpart is about to meet her."   
  
"WHAT?!?!" yelled the four at the same time.  
  
***  
"What the...?!", exclaimed Cat, when she saw the blue wall in one of the halls of Fallen College. "If this is yaer job, Amerin, yae can turn it off! We're finished with that wind witch!"   
  
"Catherin?" asked a male voice from behind the wall. "Is that really you?"   
  
"Who else could it be?" she sighed, trying to ignore the pain she still felt on her throat. "C'mon, we still have tae sleep before class starts... -cough-!"   
  
With the agreement of Daniel, Rick and Tieko, Amerin let the wall down and reversed his transformation, even though he knew they were risking their lives doing that. When the wall vanished, the four saw with big eyes a scene they thought it shouldn't be shown before eleven in the night... wait-a-sec, it WAS eleven in the night. Go figure.   
  
Catherin, on the other hand, was on her knees, too busy trying to breathe, to see what was happening between Kenneth and Megan. Aindrea rushed to her side, helping her to stand up, while Tieko gave a sly look to Daniel and Rick. They would have a lot of things to explain when they got back to the dormitory... and there were a lot of things they still had to arrange, like explain to Aindrea's grandfather why hadn't he called as soon as he got to his new house. But those were details they could always manage to fix after a good sleep.   
  
"Kenneth, your girlfriend?" asked Rick, a sly smile on his face. "Take it easy, we don't want this to get rated PG-13 or R..."   
  
"Huh?" he blushed, as they broke apart. "Hm... err... this is Megan."   
  
"Hi", she waved, smiling shyly. "Nice to meet you too..."   
  
"You two, settle down", said Tieko, smacking Daniel and Rick on their heads. "Now that I know that I REALLY know you from that mailing list, I think I don't need to behave so well..." and she saw a couple of eyes growing big at her. "... What? Did I say something wrong?"   
  
"Never mind..." said Cat, being carried by Aindrea. "Let's just go 'home', please... and... I can walk as well, Aindrea, thanks."   
  
They blushed as Tieko, Daniel and Rick looked at themselves and winked once. There were some couples lately at Fallen Institute, thought Rick, smiling at Kenneth and Megan and Cat and Aindrea. But they still had something to worry about. "Did anyone check on Martin?" he finally asked, making some Guardians widen their eyes.   
  
***  
Day finally came, for the delight of the students who loved having lessons and much for the despair of those who still wanted to sleep more or didn't like having any kind of lessons at all. Tieko Aikawa was one of those who were in the middle of these two sides. Even though she still wanted to stay at bed, for she was still sleepy after the previous night, something on her heart willed to go to College. It was her first day and...   
  
"... And you'll be able to see Arthur during class time, am I right?", asked Cat, her back leaning on Tieko's door. "Yae're thinking way too loud, Tieko. Should start thinking of keeping your thoughts in your mind. Yae were lucky that nobody else was here tae hear it."   
  
"That was the reason why I asked Kenneth if I could change rooms. With you as my roommate, I don't have too worry too much about that", smirked Tieko, wearing a white blouse and a Fallen College blue jacket. "Did this blue jacket fit me well?"   
  
"THOSE are the words I was willing to hear from yae today. Say... I still don't understand why did yae choose the blue jacket. Fallen Institute colors do include blue, but everyone chooses the red one", said Cat, picking up her backpack. "I still prefer red, but..."   
  
"I prefer the blue one", said Tieko, picking up her notebooks. "Are you going to see Aindrea today?" she asked with a sly look on her face.   
  
"Why does something keep telling me that today is going to be a long day..." sighed Catherin.   
  
Everything was going back to normal as Catherin had always seen. Lots of students walking through Fallen Institute's gate, ready to go to their classes, talking about their weekends at home or something like that... new students arriving with puzzled looks in their eyes, trying to figure out where did they had to go... heh, nothing unusual for a Monday.   
  
Tieko had already been at the boys' dormitory and had time to rush back to the girls' dormitory to change her clothes and pick up her books. Megan was waiting for them at the front door, as she had promised last night, before going home; she was one of the students who lived with her parents and could manage to get on time in class. "Are you ready, girls?"   
  
"Yup", answered Tieko, running down the stairs. "Have you told your parents about Kenneth?"   
  
"Didn't have time to", said Megan, blushing. "But I will... I'll just have to be careful to keep my grades, as this is my last year in High School."   
  
"You need good grades to get into College, right?" said Cat, opening the front door. "Hey, today is cooler than I thought!"   
  
"That's why we're with heavy clothes", said Arthur and Aindrea, standing right before the front door, with their hands in their pockets. "Good morning, Cat. Are you ready to go?"   
  
"Yae know that having lessons after last night isn't the kind of thing I love, but... whatever", she said, shivering a bit with the cold. "Brrr... and I usually say that I know Mornington's weather... who would guess that it would be SO cold at eight in the morning?"   
  
Arthur nodded, while helping Tieko with a scarf around her neck. They were still in Fall, not Winter. That kind of cold weather wasn't typical of Mornington's Fall and that was the reason why Cat hadn't used heavier clothes, just her Fallen College red jacket. She sank her nose into her jacket, trying to heat it a bit, and hid her ears inside her baseball cap. "If the weather continues like this, I'll have tae use earmuffs rather than my cap", she complained, feeling her face hurt with the cold. "What could be worse than this?"   
  
"DON'T ask, Cat", said Rick, reaching them. "Murphy can always have something hidden in his collar."   
  
"Too late, Rick", said Martin, using three coats and earmuffs. "Look above."   
  
"... Snow?!" they all gasped, when the soft, cotton-like drips began to fall over their heads.   
  
"I give up", sighed Cat.   
  
***  
An hour later, a loud 'hooray' could be heard through all Fallen Institute, followed by a wild rampage of teenagers that came out of all buildings. "Destiny couldn't be nicer to us", shivered Megan, with a smile on her face. "Due to the weather, all classes were dismissed."   
  
"Yup", said Kenneth, with two coats over his janitor uniform. "All the janitor staff didn't think that it would SNOW today, so nobody had time to turn on the Central Heater. I just had time to turn on the dormitories' heaters, so it must be warm there."   
  
"Don't you have to stay in the Institute now, Ken?" asked Megan, looking shy.   
  
"Heh, no. My duty is to check on the dormitories", he smiled. "Let's go to the boys' dormitory. Everyone must be there by this time."   
  
Megan felt a warm wave coming from her hand that head straight to her heart when Kenneth took her hand in his. Blushing, she smiled and lowered her face a bit, her heartbeats becoming faster than she could ever remember.   
  
Those were moments that she wished that never had an end.   
  
***  
At the boys' dormitory, things seemed to be not so cheerful as anyone would expect to be. A pile of coats rested in the corner of the TV room, while everybody had their faces down, a bad statement on them.   
  
"OK, what happened?" asked Kenneth, when he took off the last heavy coat he was wearing, keeping a green jacket over his uniform. "Did something strange appear while I wasn't here?"   
  
"Bradley and William didn't come back last night", said Tieko, with tears on her eyes. "I forgot to check if everybody was here during this morning's breakfast..."   
  
"Easy there, Tieko, the fact of that those two didn't come back isn't your fault", said Arthur, rubbing her back. "The worst part is that they weren't expecting this cold weather, so none of them took heavy coats. I hate to say this, but I AM worried."   
  
"You're not the only one, Arthur", said Martin, rubbing his hands even though the Central Heater was on. "If I can remember, I was the one who had disappeared and here am I. Now, as they didn't carry any kind of communicator with them, how will we ever have a clue of where those two are?"   
  
Suddenly, everyone looked at the stairs. Daniel was coming down, with a depressed statement on his face. On his hands, he carried two cell phones. "We don't have any clue. They forgot to take their cell phones."   
  
"I can go back home to get my car", said Aindrea, much for everyone's surprise. "Hey, I do have a drivers' license. And my car has a heater, so we'll be able to look for them until I have enough gas left. They can't be too far from here, as they were by foot."   
  
"The next town is Crossroads..." said Arthur. "...Where I came from. The only problem is that Crossroads is about 50 kilometers away from Mornington and there are only a few villages through the main road. We won't be able to find them if they took any kind of alternative road."   
  
"Wait", said Cat, with her arms crossed. "Aren't there any places here in Mornington where they could be? We didn't check this town, why are we thinking of going to Crossroads?"   
  
"Cat's right", agreed Rick, snapping his fingers. "We didn't think of checking the pubs nearby. And there's a motel near the Game Center. They must be there. And... Tieko, PLEASE, stop crying. It's not your fault if they decided to spend the night out of the dormitory!"   
  
***  
The atmosphere seemed to have become gloomy after Chronos said those words. Lady Saphir, better known as Sailor Mercury, was in shock since then and Aleph, Moon Fox and Firebird weren't in better shape neither.   
  
"Can... Can I see my sister?" asked Sailor Mercury, in a low voice.   
  
"Follow me", said Aleph, also in a low voice. He knew that it was better to take Lady Saphir out of that room before Firebird and Moon Fox demanded any explanations from Chronos. "This way..."   
  
And it was during that kind of situation that Aleph thanked all his ancestors for giving him the gift of Intuition, as he could listen Moon Fox saying something in an angry, very loud voice.   
  
"OK, now that Lady Saphir's outta here, you can start explaining yourself, Chronos!"   
  
"Not so loud, Moon Fox", said Chronos, asking for silence with a gesture. "Everything shall be explained... in its right time."   
  
"I am aware that there were Sailor Senshi in that Timeline, but nothing should ever happen to unite the two groups", said Firebird, remembering some facts from the previous story that Chronos had erased when gave Art the Time-Space Key to travel back in time. "Why are you doing this?"   
  
"Sooner or later, youmas would get to Mornington", answered Chronos, with his hands to the back. "And then Mercury Guardian would awake and, with her, Earth Destiny Kishi would eliminate them. But that won't happen until many lives are taken, for her memory will only be totally restored when some facts in the present time occur like in the past", he stopped for some seconds to walk to the closed window and look outside. "Bringing the Sailor Senshi will help restore her memory without killing too much people. And remember that Tieko Aikawa hadn't Kyn's essence in her body yet, for she was the reincarnation of other person."   
  
"She already was remembering some facts, Chronos. Faster than before." said Moon Fox.   
  
"Yes, but she did it the last time. And what happened? Aindrea Terence, Megan Lightner, Kenneth and Claire Raiden, Catherin McKinnion and Althea Maxwell had to die so that she got total control over her powers", continued Chronos, without noticing that a blue soldier was walking into the room.   
  
"So", a female voice said, making everyone shiver.   
  
"You mean that those Guardians aren't your creation", said Aleph, right after her.   
  
"Tieko Aikawa was supposed to be the reincarnation of Mercury Guardian from the Silver Millennium", continued Sailor Mercury. "She was supposed to be Artica of Mercury, am I right?"   
  
Chronos nodded. And tears of anger began to fall from Sailor Mercury's eyes.   
  
"Where is she?!" yelled Sailor Mercury, losing control of her emotions. "I can remember that TWO girls from Mercury were taken by Sailor Pluto to be trained as Guardians of Time! One would be Mercury Destiny Kishi, and that was my twin sister! The other one was trained to be a minor guardian, prepared to take care of the Destiny Kishi of her planet, Mercury Guardian! Now that you've replaced her by Kyn's essence, WHERE IS ARTICA?!?!"   
  
***  
Everyone was preparing themselves to go to the center of Mornington to look for the two missed ones, wearing again the heavy coats that would be necessary to walk on the cold streets of the town. And, when the front door was already opened, the phone rang.   
  
"Oh, great", sighed Rick.   
  
"Go answer it, Rick", said Martin. "Maybe it's one of them who is calling."   
  
"Y're right. Hello?" said Rick, answering the phone and making a strange, funny face after some seconds. "YOU ARE _WHERE_???"   
  
A few minutes later, Rick hung up the phone, laughing. "Aindrea, I guess we'll need your car."   
  
"Why?" asked a puzzled Aindrea, without understanding why was Rick laughing so much.   
  
"Bradley and William did come back last night, but they went out very early to meet a cousin of William and her friends that came from Japan", answered Rick. "They didn't realize that the girl was bringing FOUR friends along with her and they didn't take enough money for a cab and the girls don't have US currency yet."   
  
"I can't believe it..." sighed Kenneth, slapping his forehead. "Wait. FIVE GIRLS?! Coming from Japan? We'll need MORE than one car!"   
  
"Why are you saying that, Ken?" asked Megan, also puzzled.   
  
"I have a younger sister, I KNOW how much luggage you carry!"   
  
Ten minutes later, they were in Aindrea's car, on their way to the nearest airport. For the group's amusement, Kenneth had a strange bruise on his face... made by Megan's small right hand.  



	10. You Don't Need To Say a Word

Chapter 09 - You Don't Need to Say a Word   
  
"If I can search out my tiny self so far below,  
Then even getting hurt, or what will come tomorrow won't scare me..."  
-= Megumi Hayashibara - Breeze =-   
  
* Author's note: Even though the official language of this fanfic is English, the Sailor Senshi will be speaking in Japanese. Their speeches will be between {}. *   
  
In the International Airport, five foreign girls and two boys looked at each other, trying to talk a bit while they waited to their friends to arrive. A hard task in everyone's opinion, because only two girls spoke fluent English and only one boy spoke fluent Japanese. They were all sitting by the main entrance, where they would still be warm and could also see if anybody got there to take them to the hotel they had booked for.   
  
"William, you did NOT change a bit in these years", said one of the blond girls, with a red bow on her hair, speaking with a British accent. "How could you come to get us if you didn't even have a car or enough money to take us to our hotel?"   
  
"Easy there, Minako", answered William, waving his hands in front of her face. "You didn't tell me that you were bringing FOUR friends with you, so I thought that only one cab would be enough. And you could choose another day to come too, because no Change Banks open during Mondays."   
  
"Excuse me, William...", said a blue-haired girl, with a strong Japanese accent on her English. "I think we didn't introduce ourselves..."   
  
"Don't worry about that", said William. "I think it's better to introduce everybody when the rest of the gang gets here."   
  
"WHAT?!", exclaimed the blond one that William called 'Minako'. "You've called your friends to pick us up?"   
  
"Err... I did", said Bradley, raising one of his fingers, shyly. "Did I do anything wrong?"   
  
"Not at all", the blond giggled, while taking a white... yes, it still was a white cat, from a pet box.   
  
"Ah, there they come", smiled William, trying to hide a relief sigh in his throat. "Hey! We're here!!!"   
  
The small group quickly ran to the strange group of foreigners that stood on the middle of the arrival room, saying something like 'weren't them supposed to be Japanese?!' after looking at the strange hair colors they had. Five girls, two blond, one brown-haired, one BLUE-haired and a brunette stood near William and Bradley. It sure was time to review some of my Genetics books, thought Megan, scratching her head, but... wait-a-sec, Aindrea had blue hair himself. Go figure.   
  
"Hi!", waved Kenneth, receiving a poke from Megan when she noticed that he was smiling way too much to the girls. "Hey, that hurts!"   
  
"Welcome to the club", laughed Arthur, receiving a poke from Tieko. "Ouch! Did I already say that THIS", and he poked her on her belly "hurts?!"   
  
"Yes, it hurts and it TICKLES!", she answered, poking him again.   
  
"Err... could yae guys stop that? Yae're scaring our guests", said Catherin, with an odd smile on her face.   
  
Tieko and Megan blushed and looked at each other before trying to say anything. The other members of the group couldn't help but look at the foreign group with sheepish smiles on their faces. A strange silence came into the airport, being broken only by the default announcements on the microphones.   
  
"Sorry for all these problems we are causing you", finally said the blue-haired girl, carrying a black cat on her arms. "I am Ami Mizuno, nice to meet you", and she bowed down.   
  
"I'm Minako Aino, William's cousin", said the blond girl with the red bow on her head. "And these are my friends, Usagi Tsukino", she pointed the other blond girl with the funny, round ponytails on her head. "Rei Hino", and the longhaired brunette bowed. "And Makoto Kino", the tall, brown-haired girl also bowed.   
  
"Hm... nai... naici two miiti yuu...", the one called Usagi tried to say while bowing.   
  
*God, we'll HAVE to do something very QUICK to handle this 'conversation' problem*, thought Megan, slapping her forehead. "I'm Megan Lightner, nice to meet you too."   
  
"Are you all from Mornington?", asked Minako, whimpering when one of the white cat's sharp claws poke her. "Hey!"   
  
"Not at all... I'm Kenneth Raiden, and I'm from Narita, Japan", he said, smiling in a 'not too cheerful' way, so that Megan wouldn't poke or punch him anymore. "I also speak Japanese, so I think I can help you a bit."   
  
"That would be very nice... by the way, I'm Catherin McKinnion, from Scotland."   
  
"Arthur Crossroads here. I was born nearby, so I can almost say that I'm from Mornington."   
  
"I am Aindrea Terence, from France."   
  
"I'm Daniel Luders, and my cousin and I are Brazilian."   
  
"Would you QUIT skipping over my introduction?", asked Rick, giving an angry glare in Daniel's direction. "I'm Henrique Luders. Call me Rick, if you can't pronounce my name."   
  
"I'm Tieko Aikawa", she said, being the last one to introduce herself. "I'm also Brazilian..."   
  
She didn't know exactly why, but Tieko felt something funny when she looked into Ami Mizuno's eyes. It was something like... if they weren't total strangers by the time they met. As if they had been good friends or even more than that in another time.   
  
Or in another life.   
  
***  
Thirty minutes later, three crowded cars left the airport, heading to Mornington Palace Hotel, the biggest one on town. Or should I say the only one that really could be called a hotel? Oh well... whatever. What really matters is that the town never saw such noisy cars as those two were.   
  
In Aindrea's Scènic went Megan, Kenneth, Rick, Minako Aino and the white cat - whose name was Artemis -, so that Minako could go talking with Megan. In one of the two cabs, went Arthur, Tieko, Ami Mizuno and the black cat - whose name was Luna - and William and Makoto Kino, while in the last cab went the rest of the group, without one foreigner who spoke English, so that Daniel and Bradley had to suffer while Usagi Tsukino fought all the way along with Rei Hino. The only thought that made the two poor boys happy was that they were on the least crowded cab... but Daniel sure wished that the car had three front seats. Watching a girls' fight wasn't something he liked to do very often.   
  
Some terrible twenty minutes later, the three cars stopped by Mornington Palace Hotel, one of them leaving a somehow tired group at the front door. Daniel looked like as he had been on Vietnam's War, while the two girls still had their hair well combed and done. Bradley had a funny smile on his face that quickly vanished when Daniel stepped on his foot accidentally... was it really an accident? Sheesh...   
  
"OK, here we are", sighed Minako, looking at the sheepish grin at Usagi and Rei's face. "Mornington Palace Hotel. We booked for three rooms here... is it too far from where you're all staying?"   
  
"Not at all", answered William. "But not all of us are staying at Fallen Institute."   
  
"He's right", continued Megan. "I live with my parents at the Main Street, at an apartment on that white little building there", she pointed to a building that had the Game Center on its first floor. "Kenneth lives with his sister at the 4th Street, over there. As you can see, Mornington isn't a big town, so we can hardly get lost."   
  
"People say that Mornington can be called a 'town' because of Fallen Institute, or it would be a village or worse, a part of Crossroads, the next town over there", smirked William. "But can we go inside? It's COLD out here!"   
  
"Excellent idea", answered Tieko, already inside the hotel's hall, a funny smile on her face. "Why don't you continue chatting over here? It's nice and cozy."   
  
"She sure is fast", said Kenneth.   
  
***  
In Pluto's Palace, the three tired Destiny Kishi and the furious Sailor Senshi still waited for an answer from Chronos, who kept still as if he was thinking of a good answer to give before he died by Lady Saphir's hands. *She used to be a calm and gentle woman*, thought Chronos, holding the Time Staff.   
  
"So, what can you say about that, Guardian of Time?", asked Saphir, with her arms crossed in front of her chest.   
  
Chronos took a deep breath before starting to talk. He would need any pinch of oxygen he could get to face a very angry princess. "Err... you don't have to worry, Lady Saphir", he began, while Moon Fox and Aleph noticed that his hands were more pale than the usual. "Kyn won't be harmed in that Timeline, even though it doesn't seem so at this moment. Of course I can see that there's a lot of youmas trying to get her, but... she'll be OK. She always did, don't you remember? And she promised you would never be alone..."   
  
"Hottokenai yo", said Saphir. "But you still didn't answer my question and you're just trying to distract me."   
  
"She's right, Chronos", agreed Moon Fox. "Or should I say 'Martin'? For Serenity's sake, don't tell me that you haven't merged 100% in all these decades!", and he shook his head in dispair.   
  
"I can't believe it... sometimes I feel like we were back some years in time and that we still have to deal with Chronos/Martin's problems... I'm not totally merged with Aleph neither, but we agree in almost 99% of the decisions", said Daniel, remembering that his fusion with his old self hadn't finished yet. "I think that Chronos and I are the only Destiny Kishi that aren't really full-merged after all these years. After all, I'm still Daniel Graminho, not Aleph of Fihar."   
  
"So why do you keep answering when people call you 'Aleph'?", teased Firebird, trying to make things less troubled.   
  
"It's easier", he answered, heading for one of the doors. "I'll be in my room. I need to do some research on some things that aren't clear by now... call me when dinner is ready, 'kay?", he smirked.   
  
"OK, he tried", said Seph, raising his shoulders. "But I don't think that was enough to make Lady Saphir forget her main target... hey, where did he go?!"   
  
Everybody facefaulted when they saw that Chronos had managed to vanish from the entrance hall without anyone noticing that. Saphir felt as dumb as she had never before...   
  
Sailor Mercury sighed sadly and started to walk in the rooms' direction. She wished to stay alone with her twin sister for some minutes. That would be the only thing she could do by that moment.   
  
***  
FOURTY minutes later, the group hadn't booked in yet. They were still discussing who would stay with who in which room and hadn't get to an agreement. Kenneth, Megan, Arthur, Aindrea, Cat, William and Bradley were almost sleeping on the soft couches of the main hall, while Tieko seemed to be amused, playing with Luna and talking to Ami. On the other hand, Minako was busy trying to make Rei and Usagi stop fighting for useless things.   
  
{Why can't you two stop arguing?}, asked Minako, tired of watching the fight. {It's easy to settle this, all we have to do is decide who will stay with who and, if there's any problem, we can always change rooms!}   
  
{I want to stay on the room that has the view to the main street}, cried Usagi, stepping hard on the floor. {That's unfair, Rei-chan!}   
  
{What? I said that I would prefer to stay on that room because I like to see the sunset during dawn!}, replied Rei, with her arms crossed in front of her chest. {Why can't you stay on the room that's next to this one?}   
  
"Why are they fighting so much?", asked Tieko to Ami, while patting Luna's head.   
  
"Never mind... you said that you are Brazilian?"   
  
"Yup. Oh... you're noticing that I'm not the exactly type of Brazilian girl you would expect to see, am I right?", said Tieko, having Ami nodding with her head as an affirmative answer. "That's because my grandparents are Japanese, from both sides, mother and father. So that there aren't any mixtures with people from other countries."   
  
"I see... hm... I guess they will soon finish that fight."   
  
"How do you know that?"   
  
"Rei and Usagi started their 'tongue fight'", answered Ami, looking amused when Tieko almost dropped Luna on the floor. "Don't worry, they always do that, but they are good friends."   
  
"If you say so..."   
  
***  
Ami wasn't wrong, though. Some seconds after the beginning of the 'tongue fight' between Rei and Usagi, they stop fighting for some reason nobody could understand, except the five Japanese girls and the two cats. Maybe the scratch that appeared on Usagi's ankle could explain better the end of the battle.   
  
It didn't take long until they said 'goodbye' to their new friends and went to their rooms. Everybody seemed to be tired after the long trip and the long time waiting for everything to be settled down. Once they finished unpacking, all the girls and the cats went to Usagi's room to talk.   
  
{Finally}, said Luna, stretching her body on the bed. {I thought that fight would never end... something wrong, Ami-chan?}   
  
{Nani? Oh, nothing, Luna. I was just thinking about something...}   
  
{You made friends very quickly here, didn't you, Ami-chan?}, asked Makoto, brushing her hair. {I thought you weren't a girl that made friends easily...}   
  
{I'm not, Mako-chan}, answered Ami. {But there are some things that happens in your life that can't be explained, don't you agree?}   
  
{Quite}, said Artemis. {The empathy is something that nobody could ever explain. Sometimes...}   
  
{... you don't need to say a word}, said Rei, looking at the main street.  
  



	11. Make Up?

Chapter 10 - Make Up?  
  
"We will protect, with our hands, the people we love  
Raise your eyes when it is time for the battle"  
-= Sailor Senshi - Sailor War 2001 =-  
  
The alarm clock had already rung about five times in a row before being slapped by Megan's hand. She moaned and tried to hide herself under the two blankets that covered her, while her father's voice kept calling her name.  
  
"Megan, it's time to wake up! You have to go to school today, don't you remember?"  
  
"-yawn- it's too cold out there, dad... maybe they just dismissed classes again...?", and she rolled over to the other side.  
  
"Not today", answered Mr. Lightner, opening the door. "Someone named Kenneth called half an hour ago and said that the central heater was on."  
  
"Ken-", gasped Megan, sitting on the bed.  
  
"His voice became a little strange when I told him who I was. Is there something you want to tell me, Megan?"  
  
"Hn... can we talk about that during breakfast? I'll be ready in a second."  
  
Megan's mind could only think in a solution for the problem she was trying to hide from her parents. After all, how would she just say to her father and mother that she already had a boyfriend, when they had arrived in Mornington four days ago? Plus the fact that she met Kenneth on her first day in Mornington, when she hadn't 'officially' left the apartment... but that wasn't the biggest problem of all, because she could say that she had met him on her first day at the Fallen Institute.  
  
What she really feared was not knowing how would her parents react when she told them that Kenneth was her boyfriend. It hadn't been a long time since she stopped being 'daddy's little girl' and now... someone else had come into her life. No more playing with dolls, she smirked, too old for that.  
  
Megan spent about ten minutes in her reflection and in changing her clothes. Wearing warm clothes to bear the cold weather and the snow, she went to the dining room, ready to face her parents...  
  
... or not.  
  
***  
The cold morning helped making the English girl think that her nightmares were becoming true. It hadn't been easy leaving home and going to a strange country, without anyone she loved.  
  
"This is an excellent opportunity to you to make friends and to make you more independent of us", her father had said, when he came with the plane tickets. "You don't need to worry, my dear. This trip will last only one year."  
  
"ONLY one year?!", she yelled, waving her arms angrily. "Father, twelve months away from home will make me depressed!"  
  
"One day, you will thank me for this. Now go pack your clothes", and he left the room, leaving his daughter alone with her thoughts.  
  
Time had passed by and there she was, sharing a room with another girl, also a newbie there. She had read on the little 'Welcome to the Fallen Institute' book that a lot of foreign students would come to Mornington every year, so she was prepared to share a room with someone who didn't speak English.  
  
"Hi... I'm Helen Dawn, nice to meet you", the other girl said, making her feel better.  
  
"My name is Althea Maxwell. Nice to meet you too", she answered, happy for having an English speaker as a roomate. "Is this your first day at the Institute?"  
  
"Yes... I'm going to Fallen High. I was on my way now..."  
  
"That's good... I'm also booked for Fallen High. Shall we go together?"  
  
Some minutes later, Althea and Helen were on their way to Fallen High. By that little book them both had recieved, the older students would be on uniforms so that newbies could find them easily when help was needed.  
  
And that was something that Althea really wanted.  
  
***  
A pile of hot pancakes and a big cup full of hot chocolate looked to a worried Megan, who stared at her parents, feeling as if nothing would pass through her throat.  
  
"Er... mom... dad... I...", she gasped, failing in finding the right words to start her little speech.  
  
"We noticied that you already made some friends", said Mrs. Lightner, having some coffee. "That's good, dear."  
  
"Yes, mom... people here are very friendly and..."  
  
"How did that boy... Kenneth, isn't that his name?", Megan nodded. "know that the heater was on, even before the Institute was open?"  
  
"He... he works there, dad... and... and... Kenneth is... is... -gasp- my -cough-cough- boyfriend *Ok, I've said it already*", she finally said, blushing deeply and feeling her face burning.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Lightner stopped eating for some minutes and looked at their daughter.  
  
"That's wonderful, dear", said Mrs. Lightner, placing her napkin on the table. "Why don't you invite him for dinner tomorrow night?"  
  
"You mean that... you're not... angry?", asked Megan, puzzled and happy at the same time.  
  
"Why should we?", said Mr. Lightner. "You're 17 years old, Megan, old enough to take care of your life... better, of your heart. Just be careful with your grades, because this is your Graduation year. Your grades have to be good, remember that."  
  
Megan smiled widely and started to eat her breakfast. She had never thought that her parents would react that way. Maybe she was reading too many novels...  
  
"Megan, you're going to be late", warned her father. "And... just out of curiosity... how old is he?"  
  
"Ken? He's 18, daddy", answered Megan, putting on her coat and getting her school bag, still with a toast in her mouth. "'Bye!"  
  
The Lightners smiled to each other and watched as Megan walked out of the apartment. She was becoming a woman... a full grown-up.  
  
"But dear... don't you think that Megan is too young to have a boyfriend?", asked Mr. Lightner, with a funny face.  
  
***  
And school life was starting again, as usual. The only problem they still had was trying to discover why had the weather become strange. It wasn't the right month to snow and Catherin and Arthur knew that. After all, they were in the beginning of September, not on December.  
  
"So today we're having normal lessons...", said Tieko, pouring coffee in a cup.  
  
"That's what Kenneth said. He turned the central heater on early this morning", said Rick, coming into the dinning room with a kettle. "You're coming with us?"  
  
"Ahn... yes. Yesterday I saw where my classroom is, so I won't be needing Cat's help for today", answered Tieko, taking off her apron. "She will be busy today, there are more newbies arriving."  
  
"THAT'S why Daniel, Martin and I chose to come some weeks before lessons started", and the scent of Earl Grey tea filled the dining room as Rick poured the tea in his cup, with a wide and... why not say... maniac smile on his face.  
  
"Hey... what will William do with his cousin and her friends?" asked Martin, having a cup of floral tea. "We will be at College until one o'clock in the afternoon.  
  
"Oh, he will think of something, don't worry, Martin...", smirked Arthur.  
  
***  
Something DID happen, but it wasn't any creation of William's dizzy head. No living being at Mornington could possibly think of a reason for such a suddent climatic change in less than 24 hours.  
  
"I just can't believe in what's happening...", moaned Kenneth, taking off one of his coats. "Yesterday, classes were dismissed because it was snowing and the central heater wasn't on. Today, classes were dismissed because it's TOO HOT and five or six students fainted during first period due to the awful heat."  
  
"And that makes the second day in a row without lessons...", sighed Megan, rolling up her sleeves.  
  
"Not to mention another day with nothing to do at all. I just hope that the eletric central of Mornington doesn't wreck up with all this mess...", continued Martin. "I'm going back to the dormitory. See you all later."  
  
"See'ya, Martin", answered Daniel, with his jacket over his shoulder. "Hey... now that we're free, why don't we stop by the hotel and ask the girls if they want to go to the Ice Cream Shop?"  
  
"That isn't a bad idea... but why that all of a sudden?", asked Rick.  
  
"Er... maybe we can find a clue for what's happening."  
  
"I'll try to believe in your words, Daniel, but you can be right", said Arthur, grinning. "After all, they arrived in the same day all this began to happen."  
  
"Waitasec, Arthur...", said Tieko. "You're not suggesting that..."  
  
"No, I'm not. But something strange is happening here and we have to discover what is it."  
  
***  
In the meanwhile, two worried Destiny Kishi kept looking at the mirror, watching everything that was happening in Fallen Institute. They knew Arthur was right, they had to discover what was happening there... a difficult task, in their opinion.  
  
"Any clue?", asked Firebird, with his elbows on his knees, looking at Aleph.  
  
"Not a single one", he answered, sighing. "Man, I knew that changing one thing in a Timeline could mess up the future, but I never thought it would happen like THAT."  
  
"The old 'monster-of-the-day-against-the-hero-group' plot, you mean?"  
  
"That's right. But something's strange in this 'old plot'... and I can't figure what is it."  
  
"That's bad. When a Destiny Kishi gets puzzled with a Timeline, a disaster can happen", said Moon Fox, entering the room. "I just hope that they can solve that without any help."  
  
"It's time for the Sailor Senshi to get into scene", mumbled Firebird. "Now."  
  
***  
It was HOT. Very HOT. TOO HOT for the five girls and the two cats at the hotel. Not even the central cooler could make things better in the rooms and all they decided to stay at the hall, dressed up with their Summer clothes, to try to cool up.  
  
{Minako-chan, you hadn't tell us that Mornington was THIS hot...}, moaned Usagi, streched on a couch.  
  
{Well, William didn't tell me that neither. Luna, can't you do something to help us with this communication problem?}, said Minako, starting to feel that Artemis' fur was too hot and making him get out of her lap.  
  
{I'm a counselor, not a magician}, whispered the cat. {Only if a bit of Moon Power made you all understand English, but I'm not sure if that's possible...}  
  
{Shh, Luna... look who's coming}, whispered Makoto, with a portable fan on her hands.  
  
Arthur, Tieko, Daniel, Rick, Megan and Kenneth went into the hall, finding the five girls on the coach. It was strange... all they felt a funny feeling when they got near the girls and the cats. Something like if they weren't complete strangers.  
  
"Hi!", greeted Minako. "It's nice to see you, but... weren't you supposed to be at College now?"  
  
"It was", said Kenneth. "If the weather weren't crazy like this. Besides..." {Daniel would like to ask if you all want to go to the Ice Cream Shop.}, he added in Japanese, grinning.  
  
{Oooh, an Ice Cream Shop?}, drooled Usagi, smiling widely.  
  
{Settle down, Usagi-chan...}, sighed Makoto, blushing. {Someone please tell him that we DO accept his invitation.}  
  
{Hm...}, smiled Minako, poking Makoto with her shoulder. {Something tells me that he remembers you of someone...}  
  
{Er... can we please GO?}, asked Ami, trying to avoid a possible discussion between Minako and Makoto. "We are very pleased, Daniel-san."  
  
And everyone suddently stared at Daniel, except Kenneth, who kept grinning.  
  
"OK, what have you told them, Kenneth?!"  
  
"Heheheheh... I'll explain that later, after we order some COLD drinks", and he ran away, still holding Megan's hand.  
  
***  
It didn't take too long until Catherin and the other students were also dismissed from College. Aindrea was waiting for her at the main door of the Institute, also without two coats and with Summer clothes.  
  
"Hi, Catherin", smiled Aindrea, offering his hand to help her climb down the stairs. "Do you want to put your extra coats in my car?"  
  
"Hi, Aindrea", Cat also smiled, feeling her cheeks hot. "No, thank you... I was going to go back to the dormitory to change my clothes. And... have you seen the others?"  
  
"They went to the Ice Cream Shop", he answered, holding her hand.  
  
Cat was startled and pulled her hand off of Aindrea's, as if she didn't like what he had done.  
  
"So... sorry...", said Aindrea, seeing how perturbated she became. "I... I shouldn't have done that, sorry."  
  
"No... it's not your fault, Aindrea, it's just that...", she tried to explain, but tears became to roll over her face.  
  
"You don't have to explain yourself if it's something that hurts you so badly", he said, wiping away some tears. "I'll take you to the dormitory, you need to wash your face before going to the Ice Cream Shop."  
  
"The Ice Cream Shop?"  
  
"Everyone is there... they phoned me some minutes ago... but... if you want to have some time alone, I can explain that to them."  
  
Cat wiped her face with her sleeve and took a deep breath. It was time to forget some things that had happened in the past and don't let them interfere in her life. After all, she deserved a chance to be happy.  
  
And Aindrea's eyes were so sweet...  
  
***  
The Ice Cream Shop. The place where every youngster went after classes to have a cold or a hot drink or some ice cream to make a day perfect. Of course, that was a place where you could always find someone to talk with or where you could see some unusual and funny things...  
  
... like a blond girl eating two banana-splits, three sundaes and one milk-shake as if she would die if they weren't there by her side.  
  
"Wow", was the only word Daniel, Rick, Arthur and Tieko could think of saying while they had their ice cream.  
  
"How does she keeps slim eating like THAT?", asked Arthur, being poked by Tieko some seconds later. "You know that hurts!"  
  
"The problem is, you NEVER say to a girl that she's eating too much, Arthur", said Cat, entering the shop with hands held along with Aindrea. "You still have a lot to learn about girls..."  
  
"But don't worry, you won't have that kind of problem in Hell", said a creepy voice that came from somewhere in the shop.  
  
"Who said that?", asked Tieko, standing up.  
  
Suddently, a hot wave filled up the shop, making almost everyone inside faint because of the heat. Flames came from into an oven, scaring the ones that hadn't fainted yet, who ran out of the shop as fast as they could, except for the group that stood up, looking to where the voice had come from.  
  
*Not now!*, thought Cat, starting to feel dizzy with the heat. *We can't transformate in front of this girls...*  
  
Every Guardian had the same thought when something strange happened. Some kind of cold shield was protecting the group against the heat, but no Guardian had powers over the Ice Element and a blue light started to come from someone in the group.  
  
When they turned back to see where the light came from, they were surprised to see that the blue light came from Tieko's forehead.  
  
{What?!}, exclaimed Luna, forgetting that she couldn't talk at that moment. {Everyone, make up!}  
  
{Mercury Star Power!}  
  
{Mars Star Power!}  
  
{Jupiter Star Power!}  
  
{Venus Star Power!}  
  
{Moon Cosmic Power!}  
  
{MAKE UP!!!}  
  
The Guardian group was atonished with what they were watching. Behind those girls were hidden the powerful Sailor Senshi of Japan! Tieko was also atonished, but a pain on her head didn't let her think too much about what she was seeing on her front.  
  
"Hurry up!", shouted Rick, picking Tieko on his arms, when she fell down. "I don't think she will be able to keep the cold shield for much longer! Forget your 'secret identities' now!"  
  
"He's right! Earth Destiny Power!"  
  
"Saturn Violet Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Green Power!"  
  
"Neptune Blue Power!"  
  
"Moon Silver Power!"  
  
"Welcome to Mornington, Sailor Senshi.", greeted Selen, after her transformation.  
  
"Thank you...", said Sailor Moon, surprised that she could understand what the girl had said.  
  
"Neat...", said Siren, making her glaive appear. "Who will be this time? Someone-ko, I presume?"  
  
"Almost", said the creepy voice, that came from a big flame that took a humanoid form on their front. "I'm Hinoko."  
  
"The Child of Fire", said Gin, making his swords appear on his hands. "And may we presume that you are after revenge for Kazeko's death and to take Tieko to your world?"  
  
"Exactly, young man", answered the woman of fire, walking towards Rick, who still held Tieko on his arms. "Now, if you please..."  
  
"NO! You won't take this girl to your world!", and everybody looked at Sailor Moon. "Nobody gave you the right to have fun with our weather! And...", all the Guardians and the Senshi couldn't help but slap their foreheads.  
  
"In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!!!", Sailor Moon and Selen said at the same time. 


	12. For Friendship and Love

Chapter 11 - For Friendship and Love  
  
"I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings   
Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings"  
-= Nobuo Uematsu - Melodies of Love =-  
  
*** I apologize for the delay of this chapter and if it remembers sad things that all the world wishes it had never happened. Please forgive me. ***  
  
It can't be... I'm with that strange feeling once more. The feeling that I already know that girl, I know I've seen her before, so why can't I remember where did we met? I need to know, please, I have to know who is - or was - she, I have to, I have to, PLEASE, let me remember that! PLEASE! My mind is dizzy, my heart seems to be pounding harder and faster, someone please tell me what is happening with me!  
  
***  
And Rick was right. It didn't take too long until Tieko lost her consciousness and fell into his arms, sweating by the heat and by the extreme use of soul energy. The Senshi and the Guardians noticed that and prepared themselves for the first attack of the creature that was in front of them.  
  
"My work seems to be easier now", laughed the woman of fire, getting closer to the group. "You were trapped in this small shop, soon you'll faint because of the heat. Give me the girl."  
  
"Only over my dead body", growled Art, drawing his sword. "You won't take her!"  
  
"As you wish, young man... I guess it's time to start your prayers."  
  
The group could only gasp when a huge fireball went into their direction, too fast for any of them to think of a way of dodging it without leaving the others behind. The Senshi and the Guardians could jump, but they would leave Tieko, Daniel and Rick on the range of the fireball and nobody could jump over the ball if they tried to carry one of the three.  
  
Suddently, the sound of glass breaking and a big foam spray cut Hinoko's words and the fireball, making everyone atonished. By the broken glass of the Ice Cream Shop window, stood a amuzed Martin, with a fire extinguinsher by his side.  
  
"WHA-"  
  
"You'd better try to close your mouth, Hinoko-san", said Martin, with a smile on his face. "It's not polite to keep it open like that. And... I do think you know how to handle this, don't you?"  
  
Sailor Mercury and Amerin blinked twice when they noticed that Martin was looking to them. "Er... we do", they answered together.  
  
"Good. So I think I should go now... who knows what Hinoko-san will do with me as soon as she finishes placing her mouth in the correct position. Ja na!", finished Martin, running away before the youma noticed what was happening there.  
  
If they weren't in the middle of a battle, certainly they would burst in laughter the moment when Hinoko looked around, furious, and did not see the 'little bastard' who had used the foam spray against her. Unfortunately, they too were surprised by Martin's action and that gave the youma enough time to recover herself from the shock, what Siren noticed some seconds before a ray of fire went in Amerin's direction, giving her enough time to jump over him and dodge the fire.  
  
"Shine Acqua Illusion!", shouted Sailor Mercury, creating a barrier of ice around Hinoko. "This won't hold her for much longer!"  
  
"Will Sailor Moon have enough time for the Moon Princess Halation?!", asked Sailor Venus, kneeling behind a table.  
  
"I don't think so", answered Art, tumbling one table to make a safer shelter for Daniel, Rick and Tieko. "She's almost melting Sailor Mercury's ice. Sailor Mars' attacks won't be useful against her and Sailor Jupiter won't be able to touch her or to use any eletric attack. Your attacks won't be effective neither, Sailor Venus, because we have to be able to hold her first..."  
  
"Hey", interrupted Sailor Jupiter. "How do you know that much about us?"  
  
"Excuse me...", said Siren, looking in an odd way to Art and Sailor Venus. "Can we continue this talk later? I'm sure that Art will be able to explain everything, but now we've got work to do."  
  
"She's right", agreed Luna. "Sailor Mercury, we need something to distract her while Sailor Moon gets ready for her attack."  
  
"Don't worry about that. Shabon... SPRAY!"  
  
Right after the bubbles took over the place, Amerin ran right in front of where Hinoko should be, making everyone doubt of his consciousness.  
  
"Amerin, are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?!", shouted Siren. "She'll be able to get you there for sure!"  
  
"Neptune, ruler of the seas, I ask for your power! May you and me become one life, one soul!", and a blue energy surrounded Amerin's body, lifting him some inches off the ground. "Blue Tidal WAVE!!!"  
  
No words could be said by any of the warriors, who kept looking as Amerin attacked Hinoko, his arms held in her direction, aiming all the energy of his attack in a single target. But something wasn't right; Art knew that no Guardian was stronger than a Kishi or a Senshi and that Amerin's attack could be draining all his life energy.  
  
"Sailor Moon, there's no time left!", shouted Sailor Mars, when she noticed that the boy's energy was beginning to fade out. "Sailor Mercury, how much will he hold on?"  
  
"Not much", she answered, analysing the situation with her VR goggles and her computer. "And his energy pattern doesn't match any of ours, so all we can do is don't waste his effort."  
  
*... his energy pattern doesn't match any of ours...?!* thought Gin, remembering something he had heard many years ago.  
  
***  
"That's right", smiled Selen, her hands on her back, while kicking some small stones on the floor. "We're not Senshi, we're not Kishi. We're Guardians, that's why we're not the same as them. They have royal blood in their veins, we don't."  
  
"So... why were we chosen to be their Guardians?"  
  
"Gin-chan, we have a different kind of energy in our bodies. We're not as powerful as the ones from the royal families, but we aren't defenseless like the other people of the Union. That's why they chose us", answered the silver haired girl, getting closer to the boy. "Probably History won't even mention us... we're lucky to have the chance to train along with the Destiny Kishi."  
  
"Neither them are well known by the others, right?"  
  
"Right", answered a boy with dark green hair and a violet stream of light upon his eyes. His clothes were different of Selen and Gin's and he had the symbol of Pluto on his right arm. "Fate-sensei wished that we were a secret group of Kishi. And so are you. Never forget that... you have the same energy, you share the same destiny."  
  
***  
"... you share the same... destiny", whispered Gin, looking at the situation. Amerin's hair was turning to a light blue, what wasn't a good thing. His life was fading away. "Jupiter Green POWER!!!"  
  
The symbol of Jupiter gleamed on Gin's forehead, and his body was surrounded by a green light. Selen looked at him and smiled.  
  
*So you remembered Chronos' words...*, she thought, standing up and placing herself by Gin's side, holding his right hand with her left hand. "Sailor Moon! We'll give you the time you need! Moon Silver POWER!!!"  
  
The leader of the Inner Senshi was still puzzled with what was happening, but she understood their message and withdrew her Moon Rod. "Moon..."  
  
"Let's help them!", decided Sailor Venus. "Venus Star..."  
  
"NO!!!", shouted Art, "Your energy is different from theirs! If you do that, they can die! I can't help them neither, for I'm not a Guardian!"  
  
Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter could only look with puzzled eyes to the brown-haired young warrior, who placed his sword back to its accabard and ran to protect the three that were hidden behind a table.   
  
Suddently, a scream came from the water barrier created by Amerin and he fell on the ground, unconscious. Selen and Gin ceased the energy transfer immediately and Siren took a defensive position, ready to block any attack from Hinoko.  
  
But all they could see was the face of the fire creature, who smiled evilly and laughed at them. "This is all you've got? Thank you very much, now I know my enemies and the power you've got within your souls. I shall come stronger and more prepared the next time we meet! Farewell!"  
  
"Was that all...?", asked Sailor Moon, making her Moon Rod disappear. "And look at all this mess... she only wanted to see our real power."  
  
"And I must say that it was good that you didn't finish your Moon Princess Halation", said Sailor Mercury. "All she saw was the extension of their power, not yours. She won't be fully prepared...", and she stopped talking when she saw two people crying and holding unconscious bodies on their arms.  
  
"Now it's time to go", said Sailor Mars. "Is there anywhere we can go without calling anyone's attention?"  
  
"We have the Institute's dormitory, Kenneth is the janitor, so we can get inside by the back door", answered Rick. "But I don't know if we'll be able to understand you if you aren't as Sailor Senshi."  
  
"It's worth a try", said Sailor Jupiter, reverting her transformation back to Makoto. "So...?"  
  
"No problems here", smiled Daniel. "Now we have to take them to a safer place."  
  
"Before the police arrives", added Ami. "Catherin, are you able to carry Aindre... forget it."  
  
And, faster than anyone could ever imagine, the not-so-small group ran towards the Fallen Institute, carrying two unconscious teenagers and a lot of questions in their minds.  
  
***  
After half an hour and two kettles of hot water for brewing some tea, Tieko and Aindrea were much better, even though Tieko still complained about the terrible headache she had and Aindrea kept asking Catherin for some aspirin.  
  
"Does anybody want more te...", Martin began to ask, when a big 'NO' came to answer his question. "OK, no more tea, then. Should I ask if anyone wants an aspirin or a bag of ice?"  
  
Aindrea and Tieko nodded, while Rick went to the kitchen to get more hot water. He still wanted some more tea, stronger than the one Martin had given to the two with headache, of course. "Nobody cares for an Earl Grey?", he still asked, knowing that the answer would be something like 'No, thank you'.  
  
But he didn't expect a pillow.  
  
"'kay... now that everybody is awake and Rick already had a pillow thrown in his face, should we begin our little talk?", asked Kenneth, sitting by the table.   
  
"First of all... welcome to Mornington, Sailor Senshi", said Arthur, while Kenneth began to think more seriously about 'glue' and 'soundproof panels'.  
  
"Thank you, Arthur", answered Usagi, trying to behave as a leader. "And... who are you, after all?"  
  
Rei, Minako, Makoto and Ami slapped their foreheads when their 'leader' made that question that way. "Y'know, Usagi-chan...", started Makoto. "There are better ways to ask something like that."  
  
Megan laughed loudly, making Aindrea and Tieko's heads ache even more. "Don't worry... even we don't know that very well."  
  
"All we know is that Catherin recieved two pendants last week", said Kenneth, picking up his. "Some days after I got to Mornington. One was hers and one was mine. A strange voice in her head told her that a friend of hers would be in danger and that she should use the pendant to defend that friend."  
  
"At least I had Luna to explain certain things to me", said Usagi, with large, round eyes and a sweatdrop on her head.  
  
"Not everyone has a cat counselor to explain how to deal with magical powers...", mumbled Arthur, trying to be polite and cheering inside his mind because Tieko couldn't poke him at that moment.  
  
And another pillow flew across the table.  
  
"I guess we can start by saying who is who here, can't we?", groaned Tieko, after tossing the pillow she was using in Arthur's face.  
  
"-cough- that's a good idea -cough-", coughed Daniel, trying to stay without laughing. He was too close to Arthur.  
  
"OK, leader goes first", and Catherin pushed Kenneth.  
  
"Why me?! Alright... I'm Kenneth Raiden, or Gin of Jupiter."  
  
"I'm Megan Lightner, Selen of Moon."  
  
"Catherin McKinnion, Siren of Saturn."  
  
"I am -ouch- Aindrea Terence, Amerin of Neptune -ouch- pleased to meet you..."  
  
"I'm Arthur Crossroads, better known as Art of Endymion, Earth Destiny Kishi."  
  
"Er...", began Usagi, when Megan started to wave her hands in front of her.  
  
"You don't need to say who are you", she laughed. "We still remember some facts that happened in the Silver Millenium, Princess Serenity... can I call you Usagi?"  
  
The blond girl smiled. "Sure! I prefer being called Usagi rather than 'Princess Serenity' or 'Your Highness'! After all... I'm a common girl, just good n' plain Usagi Tsukino."  
  
***  
Good n' plain Usagi Tsukino. That was what she wished to be... a common girl, with no bigger responsibilities than going to school and returning home everyday. That was also what Queen Serenity of the Silver Millenium wished for her daughter, when she sent her soul to reborn in Earth. Unfortunately, Destiny didn't want it to happen. And so rose from the commonners the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice.  
  
How many tears were droppen during the years she fought against evil?  
  
But she also had happiness during those years. She made new friends and found the one she swore she would love forever, a love that would be able to challenge time and space.  
  
Sometimes, she felt as if all that battle against evil would never find its end. Enemy after enemy, something always happened to disturb everyone. To be against peace.  
  
***  
Hinoko was furious. She couldn't believe she had been caught in such a childish attack. She had been defeated by a FIRE EXTINGUINSHER!!! Nobody would forgive her if she returned to her world without the girl and without making justice for Kazeko's death.  
  
She still remembered the last words Kazeko said before leaving home.   
  
***  
"It's time for me to go. Please tell my mother that I'll be back soon, OK?"  
  
"OK, Kazeko. Take care."  
  
"I will. Bye."  
  
***  
"You... you killed my friend... and now, how will I tell her family what happened?! She didn't came for war, but if it's what you desire, that's what you all will have!!!"  
  
With tears rolling down her face, Hinoko concentrated almost all her energy in her hands and yelled once more, trying to call the Guardians.  
  
"THIS is what you deserve from taking my friend out of my life!!!"  
  
Mornington would never forget those words. And the fireball that destroyed part of Fallen Institute and the drops of fire that fell over the town, setting fire in almost all the buildings.  
  
***  
"Wha... what is happening?!", shouted Althea, when she felt the ground shaking. "An earthquake?!"  
  
"Let's get out of here!", screamed Helen, pulling Althea's hand. "It's dangerous to stay inside the building!"  
  
***  
"What is happening?!", shouted Catherin, feeling the ground shaking.  
  
"We have to get outta here!", demanded Kenneth, opening the door. "Everybody to the main pathway, NOW!"  
  
***  
Everybody thought it was an earthquake.  
  
But nothing prepared them for seeing the institute in fire and fire drops falling from the sky. It was if the world was being destroyed by the apocalypse.  
  
Some people couldn't do nothing but cry in the streets. There were people who couldn't believe in what their eyes were seeing.  
  
"It's like hell...", sobbed Usagi, without knowing what to do.  
  
"What could ever make this happen?", asked a brunnete girl, with her hair in a ponytail, by her side.  
  
"I think I know what... or who did this.", growled Arthur. "Did everybody get out of the buildings?"  
  
"There are some people trapped inside it", answered Kenneth, after phoning the security. "Let's go to a safer place."  
  
The Senshi and the Guardian understood when Kenneth said 'safer place' and followed him. The brunette girl, scared with what had happened and lost from her friend, followed the group without anyone noticing that she was there.  
  
It didn't take long for them to find a place where nobody would see them. Kenneth picked up his pendant and the Japanese girls had their transformation pens on her hands.  
  
"Jupiter Green Power!"  
  
"Moon Cosmic Power!"  
  
"Saturn Violet Power!"  
  
"Mercury Star Power!"  
  
"Neptune Blue Power!"  
  
"Mars Star Power!"  
  
"Moon Silver Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Star Power!"  
  
"Earth Destiny Power!"  
  
"Venus Star Power!"  
  
"MAKE UP!!!", the Senshi shouted, right after the Guardians had already transformed themselves.  
  
***  
The Senshi and the Guardians soon left the 'safe place', leaving a scared Althea behind. She couldn't understand what was happening and almost couldn't believe in what she had seen. But it was strange... something in her heart told her that sooner or later, she would be with them.  
  
She just couldn't understand why.  
  
***  
"HINOKO!!!", shouted Sailor Moon and Siren, after finding the youma right over the church. "We know this is your fault!"  
  
"Well, well, welcome to hell, Guardians", she laughed, with an evil and weird look in her face. "Prepared to die?"  
  
"We shall never die...", said Art, angrily, and getting his sword out of the sheath.  
  
They finally took their positions for the battle. Daniel, Rick, Tieko and Martin ran to somewhere far from the church and, without knowing why, felt they were safe where they stopped. The girl that saw the transformation scenes could see a faint bordeaux light surrounding the four teenagers.  
  
***  
"Do you think this was really meant to happen?", asked a worried Aleph, watching everything through the mirror. "Did this happen before Chronos interfered in that timeline?"  
  
"It didn't", answered Moon Fox. "But that is past already. Present time is what is happening now and that's the truth for every single person that lives in the Mornington created by Chronos. I don't think we can do anything."  
  
"We can try to do something, can't we?", asked Firebird, walking restlessly in the room.  
  
"Someone is already doing something. See that bordeaux light? That's Pluto."  
  
"You mean that.."  
  
"Martin does have some power. Chronos wouldn't let him without any defense", said Moon Fox. "All we can do now is wait."  
  
"That's something I do hate to do", sighed Aleph, rubbing his hands. 


	13. For Love and Peace

Chapter 12 - For Love and Peace  
  
"What you need  
And everything you feel  
Is just the question of the day"  
-= Enigma - Gravity of Love =-  
  
When the sun rose, Mornington still could feel the consequences of what had happened in the previous day. There hadn't been time for the Senshi and the Guardians to revert their transformation and recover from their wounds and to sleep. But that wasn't the worst of the scene. When they first fought against a youma to save their friends, no one thought of ever seeing what was upon their eyes. Mornington had its day of war and people were trying to recover from the battle and fearing the next attack.  
  
"This is horrible", said Sailor Moon, with her hands over her mouth. "So many hurt people... I can feel they're suffering...", she sobbed.  
  
"These are the consequences of a war", said Art, sitting down on the pathway. "Innocent people are hurt, some are killed... and, sometimes, we don't even know which side is the right side and which one is the wrong side."  
  
"But we fight for love and justice!", yelled Sailor Venus, angry.  
  
"Yes, but... didn't Kazeko come here, sent by her fellows, to search for the source of the energy that was affecting her world?", asked Amerin, sitting by Art's side. "She did what she believed it was the right thing, even if that meant take Tieko to a strange world. It could also mean her death."  
  
"You're right, Amerin", said Tieko, looking at her friends. "I started all this. And now, I have to put an end on this war."  
  
A blue light began to surround Tieko's body and, once again, a sigil appeared on her forehead. but, this time, the Senshi could identify it and recognize the soul that was hidden within Tieko Aikawa's body.  
  
"It can't be...!", gasped Sailor Mercury, trying to reach Tieko before it was too late. "Kyn..."  
  
"She's Kyn of Saphir!", gasped Sailor Mars. "Sailor Mercury's twin sister, the second Princess of Mercury!"  
  
"And she's also...", said Art, standing up. "... Mercury Destiny Kishi..."  
  
With a smile in her face, she moved her lips. Sailor Mercury swore to herself that she had said 'goodbye'.  
  
***  
Some miles away, Althea couldn't stop shaking. She could still see the previous battle, as if her eyes were a camera, taking pictures of every scene, recording every scream, every tear that was dropped by Mornington.  
  
That was one of the reasons why she screamed very loud when a hand touched her shoulder.  
  
"You do not have to scream, Althea Maxwell, for I am not here to harm you at all", said a young man, almost a teenager, wearing a bordeaux jacket with black pants and with a strange violet line crossing his eyes.  
  
"Who... or... WHAT are you?!"  
  
"Why bother with these details right now when you have friends in trouble?", he said, handing her a silver pendant. "You know what you have to do with this, Althea. Good luck", and he disappeared in a bordeaux light.  
  
"What a strange one... but... he said I knew what I've supposed to do with this... a heart pendant?", she thought aloud, looking at the pendant and feeling her body shudder as if a cold wind passed by.  
  
The cold wind of her memories of a long time ago.  
  
***  
And there she was, alone again, without her friends and... without the person she most loved. The cold wind made her shudder when she remembered those days in a past that History had forgotten. But not her heart.  
  
It was the end of the Silver Millenium. All she could do was see her sister being killed by a youma, the last sight that her blurry eyes saw, after saving her beloved sister from a previous attack. She knew Saphir would do the same... if she weren't a Sailor Senshi and if her duty weren't to protect the princess.  
  
Kyn wasn't a Senshi. She did not have the duty of protecting the princess... she was a Kishi, her duty was to protect the Guardian of the Time Portal, Sailor Pluto, and the secrets hidden within the Time Library. But in those days, when she was able to predict the future, Kyn had decided that she would fight by her sister's side. That was the greatest surprise Sailor Mercury would ever have in her short life.  
  
"Kyn, what are you doing here?!", she shouted, when Kyn appeared in battle clothes by her side. "You..."  
  
"I know I'm not as skilled as you are, Saphir", she answered, gathering a large amount of blue energy in her hands. "But I won't break my promise... LOOK OUT!!!"  
  
She pushed Sailor Mercury to the side with her left elbow and unlashed the energy at a youma that was coming near them. It wasn't the time for her to die. Not yet.  
  
Her eyes were damaged by the youma attack and by the light her own energy had. All she could see was another youma approaching the four Inner Senshi and unlashing a great amount of energy on them... that was what she knew that was the right thing to happen at the end of the Silver Millenium... even though she wanted to use her powers to change her Destiny.  
  
"Kyn-chan... hottokenai... yo...", Sailor Mercury whispered while trying to reach her sister's hands.  
  
"... don't leave me... alone..."  
  
And everything went black for many and many years.  
  
***  
"Hinoko!", shouted Kyn, in the middle of Fallen Institute's gym. "I am here! I am the one you are looking for!"  
  
"So finally you decided to appear...", said the woman of fire, her body appearing in the air. "Are you ready to go? I think you must know already what you've done, little girl."  
  
Kyn nodded, but didn't walk even a bit in Hinoko's direction. "I know that my presence here made several changes in your dimension... that was what brought Kazeko here, am I right?"  
  
"As usual, Kyn of Saphir. You don't belong to Mornington and you know that", Hinoko answered, lowering to the ground. "Why didn't you go with Kazeko when you could save her life?"  
  
"Because then I didn't know who I was", she said, gathering energy in her hands. "And now, I don't want to go... I can't leave her alone again... Water FLASH!"  
  
"Hey!", shouted Hinoko, dodging Kyn's attack. "If you feels it so bad, why don't you just RETURN to where you came from?"  
  
"I don't know how to", Kyn answered, lowering her eyes for a moment. "I don't even know why am I here. I just remember to be at my room, in the Palace of Pluto..."  
  
"And that's why you and your friends just killed Kazeko?!", growled Hinoko, her eyes sparkling with anger and sorrow. "I won't EVER, NEVER FORGIVE _YOU_!!!"  
  
Kyn's reflexes weren't so good as they were in the Silver Millenium and she hardly could jump to the side before the fire reached her. "I know that saying 'I'm sorry' won't bring her back!", she shouted, a tear rolling down her face. "But... but I won't leave this life too easily, Hinoko!", and a beam of ice thrusted into Hinoko's direction, almost getting her.  
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!!", shouted a third female voice, making the two warriors lose their concentration. "Can't you two see that you are fighting against the SAME THING?!"  
  
"Wha- who are you, stupid girl?!", asked Hinoko, looking at the brunette girl with yellow clothes.  
  
"The one that may have the answers for a lot of your questions...", she leaped to the ground and came to the light. "I'm Aimeko of Venus. And I have a lot of information for you two."  
  
***  
In the meanwhile, the Destiny Kishi weren't in peace. Aleph had disappeared for some hours, saying that he was going to do some research... leaving a worried Lady Saphir along with Moon Fox and Firebird. There was no sign of Chronos anywhere, though.  
  
Finally, Aleph came into the Silver Hall and sat down by the table. He kept his head down, unable to face his friends and colleagues for some minutes. For what he had discovered was something that could change the entire History of a Timeline, or else, could change forever the fate of the Destiny Kishi.  
  
Moon Fox, Firebird, Seph and Lady Saphir were worried with all the situation. The only one who wasn't at the main hall of the Silver Hall was Chronos, who was inside the Time Library since Aleph had began his research about the Timeline where Kyn's essence had been sent. That was the other point that kept Aleph's mind focused in the problem he had noticed while looking at the mirror that shown what was happening at several points of that Timeline.  
  
"Aleph...", called Lady Saphir, touching his shoulder. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Did you finish your research?", asked Moon Fox. "Is there something so terrible that you can't even look at us? C'mon, nothing can be SO terrible..."  
  
"Never say that, Moon Fox. You know what can happen when Murphy keeps looking over the Inner NDK."  
  
Moon Fox and Firebird were atonished. There were already a couple of decades since the last time Aleph had used the term 'Inner NDK' to refer to themselves. "OK, now you're going to tell us what happened, DANIEL", said Moon Fox, with an agressive voice.  
  
"Y'know... in this Timeline, the one we live in, we have an order of reincarnation of the people of the Silver Millenium who recieved the light of the Ginzuishou. That isn't different in any Timeline we can ever imagine in this universe, with the difference that there won't exist any Destiny Kishi outside our Timeline", began Aleph, with a sigh. "As we don't have any Guardians in our world or in any world at any Timeline... Siren, Gin, Selen, Amerin, Aimeko and Artica weren't bathed by the Ginzuishou's light and didn't reincarnate here. What Chronos did was travel back in time and gather the Guardians' essences before they were lost..."  
  
"You mean that neither Catherin, Kenneth, Megan, Aindrea, Althea nor Tieko were bound to exist?", asked Firebird. "That was all Chronos' work?"  
  
"No, Firebird. They were all destinated to be born in that Timeline... but to become Guardians, Chronos had to make more changes", continued Aleph, pushing a pile of paper on Firebird's direction. "He had to insert the Guardians' essences before these children were born. But we can't forget that there were more 'special children' being born almost at the same time... the Sailor Senshi. And that was the crucial part."  
  
***  
"You mean that...", gasped Kyn, watching her friends and the Sailor Senshi arriving from nowhere in the middle of the gym.  
  
"You are all fighting against the wrong person, Kyn of Saphir", repeated Aimeko, without noticing two shiny eyes looking at them from the darkness. 


	14. Our Real Enemy

Chapter 13 - Our Real Enemy  
  
"I'm gonna freeze this space and time  
Rise to meet the call  
Seize the moment, make it mine  
And through it all"  
-= Laura Pausini - The Extra Mile =-  
  
"Aimeko, Venus Guardian", said Kyn, lowering the kodachi that was on her hand. "You say that we're fighting against the wrong person, but can you say who is our real enemy?"  
  
"You are the Second Princess of Mercury, Kyn of Saphir. Intelligence and wisdom are part of your soul, can't you guess whom I'm talking about?", replied Aimeko, walking through their direction. "Who are the ones that have on their hands the power of changing History?"  
  
"You talk with riddles, Guardian", said Hinoko, looking a bit annoyed with that. "And I must confess that I'm getting tired of all this. Nobody can change History."  
  
Silence was the only answer they had for a couple of minutes - time enough for the other Guardians reach the place where a fight was happening. After all, light blasts and screams can be heard miles away from where they began. And it was just when Art of Endymion came close to the three girls that a female voice answered Aimeko's question.  
  
"I can", said Kyn, startling Hinoko and the other Guardians. "WE can."  
  
"Wha- what are you talking about, Tieko?!", shouted Cat, running to gather by her side.  
  
"I am Mercury Destiny Kishi. And the Destiny Kishi have the gift... or may I say... the curse of being able to change History", she continued, pointing her right hand towards Art. "But the worst part of all this is that I'm afraid that... that I really am the one who began all this. This story is much longer than any of you can recall."  
  
Art suddently opened his eyes widely and a flash of light made he blind for some seconds. He stopped moving and looked to the horizon, while the nightmares that haunted his sleep for years took a coherent sequence. Then he understood that they were his last life events.  
  
"I don't think that telling everything that happened during the Silver Millenium will be important now", and she looked at Hinoko, who seemed to be curious. "But one thing that happened eighteen years ago is."  
  
***  
"We shall be together forever, sweetheart."  
  
Kyn couldn't answer Art's words. She knew that the Crystal Weapon was a threaten against her life and against the whole world she loved.  
  
"Kyn-chan... hottokenai yo...", whispered Sailor Mercury, looking to her sister without being able to do nothing.  
  
And it was for her sister's sake that, even with tears in her eyes, Kyn closed her fist and yelled the words Art knew he would hear. Death's sweet words...  
  
"Mercury Destiny POWER!!!", a blue aura surrounded the girl's body and her eyes lost her pupils. She didn't see anymore, she just knew what she had to do to protect her own life and to protect Mercury's energy, essencial to remake the Timeline.  
  
She couldn't die. She didn't wait twenty thousand years to reborn and lose her life for a insane love. She wasn't going to die, not after all that happened... she would keep her promise and her words she had given to Sailor Pluto. She wouldn't allow herself to die. Not like that.  
  
"Water FLASH!!!", and the energy of Mercury Destiny Kishi's attack concentrated in Art's belly, in the moment when he was about to thrust the blade of his Crystal Weapon in Kyn's back.  
  
***  
"You mean that...", gasped Selen, holding thigh on Gin's hands.  
  
"Yes. I killed him", Kyn answered with a calm voice. "And, decades after that, the Destiny Kishi made an important decision."  
  
***  
"After so many years, we have your veredict", said Aleph, stepping forward, followed by Kyn. "Your acts against that Timeline have been analysed and now we have decided what you deserve."  
  
"But that's something we thought it would be better to be said by other person rather than me", continued Chronos, holding a strange weapon. The one called Unseelie Holy. "Kyn of Saphir, please..."  
  
The blue-haired woman stepped forward and took a deep breath before saying anything. She was beautiful as Art could remember. "Art of Endymion, for your crimes against all Timelines and for breaking the Code of Caronte, source of our rules, you are sentenced to reborn in any Timeline chosen randomly and to live as many lives are necessary for you to learn the true meaning of love and loyalty", she stopped for some seconds to clean a tear that was falling on her face. "In every life you have, you shall meet my counterpart and have a new chance with her. That shall repeat until you learn what is true Love."  
  
"May Kyn of Saphir's words become true", said Chronos, letting the Unseelie Holy on the table and picking up the Time Staff. The Garnet Orb began to shine and Art's body vanished once more. "And may Serenity guide your lives."  
  
***  
Kyn picked up a silver pen from her pocket and showed it to the Guardians. "This is Mercury's Silver Pen. One of the nine artifacts that can rewrite the scenes of any timeline, but only with the Time Staff's blessing."  
  
Amerin had his hand on his chin, as if he was trying to assimilate all the information that Kyn had said and combinate it with his own memories from the Silver Millenium. But was Hinoko who asked the question that he wanted to ask.  
  
"You said that you need the Time Staff's blessing", said Hinoko. "But shouldn't it be with the Guardian of Time?"  
  
"It should be. Chronos, Sailor Pluto's son, is the true heir to the Time Staff", answered Art, coming close to Kyn. I can remember now... he was the one who gave me a second chance in this Timeline. A second chance in this world.  
  
***  
"A time-space key. What... wait, you can't be serious about that. It's against the rules. A Destiny Kishi cannot travel in time to change its History!"  
  
"Unless the time-space key is given to him by the Guardian of Time", replied Chronos, holding the Time Staff on his right hand. "My mother is dead. I'm the new Guardian of Time. And I give you the permission you need to do so, Earth Destiny Kishi."  
  
"You mean that..."  
  
"Your memory shall be partially erased. Flashbacks shall come in your dreams and you shall also lose your eternity, but not your soul. But then you will be able to meet her again and to change this future."  
  
"Chronos, I...", he gasped, almost crying.  
  
"Don't say anything."  
  
***  
"Everything that happened in these days were meant to happen", said Aimeko, with a knowledge that she didn't even know where had come from. The words just came to her mind and she felt that telling them was the right thing to do. "They just happened faster than in the first time and that prevented Art from killing his partners before Kyn could awake from her deepest memories."  
  
Silence was the only answer that any of the people there could give. But there were more things that had to be explained and... most strange of all, something told them that all that mystery had to be solved quickly before something terrible happened.  
  
"You mean that Sailor Pluto is dead?", asked Super Sailor Moon, with tears on her eyes. "But... but..."  
  
Sighs and groans were the only reaction for that obvious, but still atonishing question that came from the blond's mouth.  
  
***  
Sometimes, we feel as if some facts weren't meant to happen. That was the feeling that crushed into Lady Saphir's heart when she heard the story that Kyn was telling by the mirrors of that Timeline. Something was wrong in that story, even though she couldn't tell exactly why. Only the ones known as 'Destiny Kishi' would able to... but not all of them were capable of doing it at that moment.   
  
"Aleph, is everything that Aimeko of Venus said correct?", asked Lady Saphir, with tears on her eyes.  
  
"Almost", he answered, with a strange expression in his face. "There is just one part that she didn't tell anybody yet."  
  
"And can you tell us what is it or will it change all that Timeline?", growled Moon Fox, with a not-so-friendly glow in his eyes.  
  
"Of course I can. But we have to find someone first. Has anyone seen Chronos all this time?"  
  
"WHA-", gasped Firebird, making a virtual keyboard appear in his front and typing some commands. "What is happening here?!" All the mirrors in the Silver Hall went blank suddently and nothing seemed to obey Firebird's commands, neither verbal nor digital. "It can't be...!"  
  
"We're out of control!", shouted Seph, running into their direction. "Quick, gather in the middle of the hall! We have to get out of here NOW!"  
  
"But Kyn's still in her room!", exclaimed Sailor Mercury, trying to run while two strong hands held her in the middle of the hall. "I can't leave her!"  
  
"She won't be alone", said Seph, taking a crystal from his pockets and handing it to Moon Fox. "Go to Tieko's Timeline. I'll be right after you, 'kay?"  
  
"Ok. Teleport", and the small group vanished from Pluto, the small planet that held one of the biggest secrets of mankind - the History of Time.  
  
***  
Time had stopped in Mornington. At least, that was the feeling that everybody had at that moment. The blue-haired girl that stood up in front of them didn't look like Tieko at all. They seemed to be two different girls, alike only in their appearance, but with different hearts.  
  
"Y' mean all this was meant to happen?", asked Siren, trying to pick up all the pieces of the strange story Aimeko was telling them all.  
  
"Correct", answered Aimeko, looking at the Guardians. "And everything for the sake of the love of one person."  
  
Everybody couldn't help but look towards Art, who lowered his eyes for some seconds. But suddently, he raised his face and threw a small stone in Aimeko's direction, missing her for some inches.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?!", exclaimed Gin, holding Art's arms, trying to stop him.  
  
"I'm not", he mumbled. "Because I've got her, at last! Reveal yourself, Mistress of the Ocean! Neko of Marine!"  
  
And a silver haired girl, with purple eyes, came out from nowhere and looked at them as if they meant nothing to her. With a madly look in her eyes that frightned even Hinoko, who took battle position when she glanced towards her.  
  
With a movement of her arms, the girl threw the unconscious body of a boy that was almost like Martin, and, laughing evilly, she picked up an artifact that no Senshi nor Kishi hadn't at least heard about once in their lives.  
  
The Time Staff. 


End file.
